Sara Sprague: Alabama Blue & Big Daddy's Greasy Greens

What do you like about collards and why did you want to grow them in the Living History Gardens?

Sara Sprague: There is so much to enjoy about the collard green. Collard greens hold a significance for me that goes beyond myself, but also is held by my mother, her grandmother; when asked what their favorite foods were growing up in the south, collards emerge as one of many. Similar to them, I resonate in the joy that collards bring to me, starting at a young age, up until now. I have been honored to farm alongside the Superyard team for the past couple of seasons, where I experimented with growing collards in different locations in Flagstaff. I noticed throughout time that they can endure some of the extremes that comes with growing produce in the high desert. They have continued to grow, season after season, therefore, I was excited to grow them in a new space, demonstrating their beauty, variety, and importance. Someone told me this is the first place they have seen blue/purple collards, which brings a smile to me. Intentional exposure of crops sacred to people of different cultures is important for us to deepen our understanding of one another, to learn, and stay curious. 

What was it like growing at McAllister Ranch? Did anything you learned about growing collards in the past influence how you grew them this season? 

Sara Sprague: McAllister Ranch, lead by Superyard has been a pleasant experience, a welcoming one, which embraces all who come. There is a collective energy that is felt. This spaces shows what it possible when we work together and take care of the land. 

I brought in my experience growing collards previously. Such as understanding when to start their seeds (March-ish :-)), understanding which varieties have done well in the past, the infrastructure needed for them to be okay as young beings, to tending to them throughout the season and what to keep an eye out for has they age. 

What are you memories of this food being cooked in your family?

Sara Sprague: I have memories of our childhood home being engulfed in the warm and welcoming smell of collard greens that had been boiling for an hour or so. I am honored to grow collards, whose resilience reminds me of the resilience of my mother, grandmother, and maternal ancestors from the South. I often hold up the collard green into the sunlight, seeing her veins, reflecting on my own and our interconnected paths.

Tell us a little about your family’s story.

Sara Sprague: I am inspired by my mother and grandmother, who introduced me to collard greens. I’ve held onto my memories from my childhood enjoyment of collards, which followed me to Flagstaff, where I started to grow produce. I became invested in understanding more about collard greens, alongside other crops that resonate with Black diaspora communities in the United States. Through this, I came across Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and learned more about collard greens, their stories, and history. I was able to experiment in different growing spaces and have continued to do so since 2022. 

Is there a member of your family who inspired your connection to collards? Your mother or grandmother? What are they like?

Sara Sprague: Both my mother and grandmother. They are Black women who carry strength and resilence as they have endured living in a country that continues to perpetuate harm amongst black and brown communities. They carry stories of collards, amongst other crops growing in my mother’s grandma’s backyard 

I have stories mostly associated with the smell of the collard greens cooking. Coming from a large family, along with daycare kids to feed, my mother had a large pot, boiling collards, the smell of them, alongside spices and onion filled the house with bliss and warmth. Collards felt like a celebratory dish, during the harvest season or holidays. They remind me of joy, a feeling that cannot be fully explained or grasped, a sense of being held and belonged.

Recipe: