Queen of Greens

Upper Marlboro, MD

Queen of Greens image

Queen of Greens in Prince George's County, MD is a social enterprise founded by Ergibe Boyd, a retired U.S. diplomat who worked in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. She followed her lifelong dream to pursue agriculture after her retirement and began growing vegetables on the 22+ acre farm she has owned for 31 years. While the farm most certainly produces crops, the purpose at the heart of the farm is to change the lives of children, particularly those deemed socioeconomically disadvantaged, aged 15 - 19 through their One Child at a Time program.

The program provides scholarships to get children out of environments that do not support their growth, "one child at a time." With these scholarships, their natural strengths and passions are nurtured by developing skills of their choosing. This program provides space for the youth to free their hearts and their minds, and giving them tangible resources to do so while manifesting their dreams into reality. The Queen of Greens team plans to eventually connect their youth with students in Africa to exchange experiences and build community across the diaspora.

The farm's specialties are African heritage produce: callaloo (amaranth greens), gomen (Ethiopian collards), Malabar spinach, bitter leaf, huckleberry leaf, jute leaf, sweet potato leaf, and more. These vitamin-rich crops are prized for their medicinal and culinary properties alike and are enjoyed in many culinary traditions across the globe. Queen of Greens also produces several varieties of okra, hot peppers, kale, chard, tomatoes, squashes, and watermelon, plus raw honey.

We've had the pleasure of offering Queen of Greens' huckleberries and their unique and beautiful sweet potato greens. That's right - sweet potato leaves, not just the roots, are edible! They're loaded with nutrients and have beautiful flowers, because the plant is in the morning glory family. Think of Queen of Greens' antioxidant-rich huckleberries sort of like cranberries) and use them in pies, jams, or juices, or freeze them for up to year stored in resealable plastic bags. A bit of fresh lemon or lime juice helps preserve their natural acidity for future baking projects.