Jacqueline Jackson
Mattie’s Garden
Birmingham, Alabama
At Mattie’s Garden, Jacqueline Jackson is cultivating more than fresh produce—she is growing a vision of community care, food access, and urban sustainability rooted in family legacy. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Mattie’s Garden specializes in vibrant microgreens, seasonal produce, and farm eggs, all grown using sustainable, space-efficient methods designed for urban farming. A regular presence at the Birdsong Farmers Market, Jackson has become known for produce that is as colorful and welcoming as the spirit behind it. Through her work, she combines entrepreneurship, education, and community connection to address food insecurity and expand access to healthy food in neighborhoods too often overlooked.
About Jacqueline
Jacqueline Jackson is the owner and operator of Mattie’s Garden, an urban farm serving the Birmingham area with fresh produce, microgreens, and farm eggs. A former banker turned farmer, Jackson brings both discipline and creativity to her work—qualities she traces directly to her grandmother, Mattie, for whom the farm is named.
“If you came to my grandmother’s house, there were two things you were going to get: discipline and food,” Jackson recalls. Those early lessons shaped not only her work ethic, but also her understanding that food is an expression of care, hospitality, and community responsibility.
The idea for Mattie’s Garden began while Jackson was still working full-time in banking. Though successful in her career, she found herself drawn more and more toward gardening on weekends, nurturing what would eventually become her future. After years of saving and planning with her husband, Jackson left banking behind to pursue farming full-time. Seven years later, she continues to build the business with the same determination that defined the women who inspired her. “My grandmother didn’t give up on her community,” said Jackson, “and I don’t plan to either.”
Mattie’s Garden was created with a clear mission: to make fresh, healthy food more accessible in communities where affordability and availability are ongoing challenges. Jackson understands that many Black, brown, and lower-income neighborhoods continue to experience limited access to fresh produce and nutrient-rich foods. Through her farm, she is working to challenge those inequities directly.
“Our mission is to reduce food insecurity by growing food and making it accessible to all community members,” Jackson says.
Operating as a small-scale for-profit urban farm, Mattie’s Garden demonstrates how local agriculture can become both economically sustainable and deeply community-centered. Jackson specializes in microgreens and small-batch produce grown through efficient urban farming techniques that maximize limited space while maintaining high quality and freshness. Her harvests regularly include arugula, bok choy, herbs, seasonal greens, and the colorful microgreens that have become a signature part of the farm’s identity.
But Mattie’s Garden extends beyond production alone. Jackson also shares practical knowledge about urban farming, seed saving, and sustainable growing practices, helping others imagine what is possible within their own neighborhoods and backyards. Through local markets and social media engagement, she encourages community members to reconnect with growing food, understanding where it comes from, and seeing farming as accessible rather than distant.
At the Birdsong Farmers Market, Mattie’s Garden has become a trusted and familiar presence. Customers return not only for the freshness of the produce, but also for the sense of connection Jackson fosters through every interaction. Her work reflects a broader vision of urban agriculture as relationship-building: nourishing bodies while strengthening neighborhoods.
Named in honor of the grandmother who taught her the importance of generosity and perseverance, Mattie’s Garden stands as both a business and a legacy project—one rooted in the belief that vibrant food, shared knowledge, and community care can help cultivate healthier futures for everyone.
