I. Preparation Expert Interviews:

1.     Name 3 experts that you plan to interview and explain why they are suitable to interview (you can do the interview via phone, zoom, etc).

• Leah penniman: founder of soul fire farm- a huge role model and Afro-Indigenous centered community farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system.
• Regina Bernard, phd. – has many city connections and is aware of many laws and requirements beneficial in knowing when it comes to trying to start a farm in NYC. She has studied food apartied and has attempted farming initiatives in the past with her students.
• Kyrsten Bates- serendipity experiment- creates venues and spaces for the young NYC community, have a outdoor garden area at her venue and is still new to promoting and hosting however has a lot of talent in consolidating large ideas like this one.

2.     What are you hoping to learn from them? Which assumptions in your BMC are you testing – or aiming to learn more about?

I want to learn from their obstacles in the startup of their farming initiatives. Their barriers as black women and how they broke down or got around those barriers to create something for the betterment of their community. I want to know what laws and people to pay most attention to and what guidelines to follow when acquiring and maintaining the lot/ property so that the city does not inhibit us from following through with our mission of providing a connection to earth, food, and history within the NYC community.

3.     What is your backup strategy if they are not responding? Who else could you contact?

I will have to do more research online as to what laws and requirements are necessary. I can also read about community gardeners’ stories in starting up their garden in a city and learn from the obstacles they write about. I can also do more research within the NYC community, especially around where we are potentially trying to build grassroots, and talk to more community members and garden members of the area to gain more insight and connections in the community because i’ve found that being a known member of the community is essential to maintaining good business. 

4.     How will you conduct the interviews and when?

I will first try emailing with the questions to either set up a time to talk over the phone/zoom, or they can answer through the email if they are tight for time. All of these women are extremely busy but it would be great to catch them at a time that convenient for them. 

II. Secondary Research – Competitive Analysis

1.     Who is your competitor?

Grocery stores, fast food restaurants, franchises, western medicine made for capital gain. 

2.     Provide an overview how you and your 5 strongest competitors are positioned. You can use a petal diagram or another diagram style and briefly explain it

Grassroots- 

    Competitive markets:

• Food
  • Super markets- stop and shop, path mark, key foods
  • Fast food establishments
  • Amazon fresh and pea pod
  • Fruit stands
• Education 
  • Gardening educators
  • Non profits
• Agriculture
  • Ornamental gardens
  • Discriminatory gardens
• Health   
  • Mainstream, capitalistic medicine companies/ vitamin and supplement companies
  • Pharmaceutical companies

III. Preparation Testing Phase/ MVP:

1.     Briefly describe your users, how/where can you find them, who are they?

User Description: People interested in healing and healthy living, specifically alternative healing through diet and lifestyle changes like connecting to the earth through community gardening.

• Targeting urban environments- busy people with little extra time
• Do not particularly like mainstream drugs or treatment
• Want to become more educated on holistic medicine and healing, interconnectivity, and the link between health, the earth, and ones history
• All ages: education starts from a young age although some treatments and medicines are age restricted
• Are becoming more conscious of what they put in and on their body
• People who feel their problems may have a deeper root but don’t know how to access it
• Want to increase their connection to the earth, their community, their history, and themselves

2.     What are your ideas in terms of testing and creating an MVP?

• Crowdfunding
• Updated interactive website with blogs, videos, posts, maps, etc.
• Email lists/ surveys
• Customer/ community member interviews and workshops

3.     What do you have to do to prepare for this?

 Look for a web designer, which i already have one in mind, to help revamp the new very boring website and link that to social media. Create an email subscription list and start sending weekly emails. Gather team to talk about crowdfunding/ a fundraiser to boost some initial capital going into this venture. Even putting up signs or posters with a QR to see who would be interested in helping/ participating.