A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: An Unlikely Urban Farmer Seeks to Help Churches and Community Groups Unlock USDA Opportunities in Fort Worth 76104.

A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: An Unlikely Urban Farmer Seeks to Help Churches and Community Groups Unlock USDA Opportunities in Fort Worth 76104. Link to Peace From A Pallet: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/fort-worth-church-building-garden-boxes-to-help-address-food-insecurity/

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - When people hear the expression “a diamond in the rough,” they often think of someone with extraordinary talent and untapped potential—someone whose value becomes more evident the closer you look.

That is exactly what many pastors and community leaders thought when they first met Diamond Moss, an urban farmer, educator, and USDA representative serving on an important local Farm Service Agency committee.

When Moss accepted an invitation from Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr., Senior Pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church and President of the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas, those gathered expected a presentation about farming. What they received was a masterclass in agriculture, food sovereignty, and the many opportunities available through the United States Department of Agriculture.

A graduate of Prairie View A&M University and a fifth-generation Texan, Moss is what some might call gold in the dirt—something precious discovered in an unexpected place. He may dress like a member of Generation Z, but he possesses the heart, wisdom, and vision of a seasoned farmer.

“Diamond is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between urban agriculture and our communities that are land-rich but cash-flow poor,” said Pastor Tatum. “Many of our churches own valuable property that has the potential to become productive community farms. He is helping us see opportunities we never knew existed.”

Across many inner-city neighborhoods, often described as food deserts or food apartheid communities, churches possess one resource that is frequently overlooked—land. With the proper partnerships and USDA support, church campuses can become places where fresh food is grown, children learn healthy living, families gain access to nutritious produce, and neighborhoods begin rebuilding their local food economy.

That vision aligns perfectly with Peace From A Pallet®, Pastor Tatum’s Christ-centered framework for community transformation through the Funkytown Food Forest at New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church. The initiative seeks to transform underutilized church property into productive spaces that cultivate faith, food, fellowship, economic opportunity, and environmental stewardship.

As founder of AfroGreen’D Gardening, Moss has devoted his work to teaching food sovereignty, environmental justice, and sustainable agriculture throughout Fort Worth. Raised in the Highland Hills neighborhood, he understands firsthand the challenges many communities face in accessing fresh, healthy food.

Operating under the motto “Seed Now, Eat Later,” AfroGreen’D empowers residents to grow their own food, reduce dependence on grocery stores, recycle food waste into compost, decrease landfill waste, and improve both physical and mental health through gardening. Moss often describes gardening as a source of “organic mental relief,” emphasizing that cultivating the soil can also cultivate healthier lives.

His impact extends into Fort Worth ISD, where AfroGreen’D partners with leadership academies to educate hundreds of students about sustainable agriculture, healthy living, and environmental responsibility. Through weekly volunteer opportunities and educational workshops at Timberview Farmstead and other urban farming sites, Moss continues inspiring the next generation of growers and community leaders.

His message is simple but profound:

“Just allowing ourselves to garden and provide for our community—to reuse, recycle, and replenish what we use in everyday life—that will help with climate change.”

His work could not come at a more critical time.

According to a 2019 UT Southwestern Medical Center study, Fort Worth’s 76104 ZIP code has the lowest life expectancy in Texas—just 66.7 years. Increasing access to healthy food, improving nutrition, and reconnecting neighborhoods with local agriculture are essential steps toward changing those outcomes.

Diamond Moss is not new to this—he is true to this.

And with the support of local churches, community organizations, and committed partners, the future looks brighter because one diamond in the rough is helping others discover the hidden treasures already planted within their own communities.

“A Diamond in the Rough: How One Urban Farmer Is Helping Churches Grow Food, Faith, and the Future.”