The Builder

K. Rashid Nuri had a powerful “burning bush” revelation while a student at Harvard. The experience set him on a global food odyssey, managing agricultural operations throughout the U.S. and 35 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. Rashid saw, up close, the abuses and inefficiencies of Big Ag. His vision of community food sovereignty and food equity emerged with full clarity. He brought that vision to Atlanta in 2006, founding Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture (TLW). TLW became Atlanta’s premier urban agricultural organization, growing tons of chemical-free, nutritious food, providing jobs and educating communities about food, nutrition and self-sufficiency.

Rashid was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but as the son of a military officer, he does not call any place home. He attended 14 schools before his family settled in San Diego, California, where he attended high school. A stellar student and community leader, Rashid went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Harvard and a Master’s Degree in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Massachusetts. During his college years, the budding agriculturalist helped to install some of the first organic community gardens in San Diego. Following graduation, Rashid journeyed to Georgia, where he managed 13,000 acres of farmland for the Nation of Islam. They raised cotton, corn, peanuts, soybeans and greens, in addition to cows and chicken. Later, he managed operations in Asia and Africa for Cargill Corporation, a global agribusiness conglomerate. Following nearly a decade with Cargill, Rashid returned to the U.S. to become a senior executive in the Clinton Administration, serving as Deputy Administrator in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Senior Advisor in the Department of Commerce. In his capacity as Deputy Administrator, Rashid’s responsibilities included budgeting, finance, facilities, information technology and 2,200 employees.

Keynote Address Topics

• Building Community Self-Sufficiency through Local Food Production

• Transforming Communities through Urban Farming

• The Local Food Movement:  What it Means to the United States

• How to be a Leader and Innovator in Your Community and Country

TEDx Presentations

Awards

The Nuri Group

The Nuri Group continues Rashid Nuri’s 50-year career, rooted in building communities on the foundation of agriculture. Rashid’s vast experience in agriculture and organizational development prepared him to share those skills with others who promote the vision of strong communities, that have equitable access to the tools for prosperity. He is a pioneer in the U.S. New Food Movement, helping to build communities that have become more self-sufficient through natural urban agriculture.

The focus of The Nuri Group is to advocate broadly for urban agriculture at the local, regional and national levels. Rashid’s core constituency is urban farmers and urban farming organizations. In addition, TNG works with educators, legislators, urban planners and advocates for social justice, to provide concepts, tools and training for greater impact. The mission of The Nuri Group is to solidify the position of urban agriculture as an economic engine and a tool for building powerful communities. We are offering our services to:

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