Every Tuesday night at his community garden in Orlando, you’ll find Raymond Warthen serving tacos and spinning jazz and hip-hop. Through music and food, Raymond is forging a closer connection to the residents of Parramore, a historically Black neighborhood where he and his team, including his wife, Cherette, have planted their unlikely oasis, Infinite Zion Farms.  

For the city of Orlando, bringing the SDGs home means ensuring that every Orlandoan lives within a half-mile of affordable, healthy food options supplied through local, sustainable agriculture. At Ray and Cherette’s urban farm, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 15: Life on Land are flourishing.  

What began as a city-supported community garden has blossomed into a 10-acre aeroponic farm in nearby Groveland, Florida that is expected to open in Fall 2025. Powered by solar energy and irrigated through a natural, spring-fed aquifer, the farm and citrus grove is expected to produce more than 1,500 pounds of leafy greens, tomatoes and fruit per month. The expansion is made possible through a collaboration with the local non-profit Adya Care Foundation and his colleague and fellow Floridian, Prince Dorvilus. 

For Ray, whose ancestors once farmed the state’s land as enslaved laborers, it’s also an important reckoning for a new generation. He views his garden as a hands-on way for young Black kids in Orlando to connect to their roots, the earth beneath their feet, and the food that grows from it. 

“I wanted to build a space that could be an emerald in the city and show local kids not just how to succeed as a Black farmer, but as an engineer, as an architect. These kids come out here now and they learn about solar power, soil mechanics, and more,” Ray says. “You’re not only changing these kids’ minds, you’re changing the whole image of what a Black farmer looks like.” 

By M.J. Altman, United Nations Foundation