Homegrown's Jamila Norman Explains Why She Recycles Almost Everything

Jamila Norman, aka Farmer J from Magnolia Network's "Homegrown" series, has a simple home decor philosophy: "I don't like buy new things."

Jamila Norman has a few houseplants, for the record, all thriving in her home in Atlanta's West End. But although she has room in the back, there is no garden.

"My friends are embarrassing me for this," said Miss Norman. "They shame me for it all the time."

Is she ashamed? She is not. Are these friends joking? Hopefully.

Mrs. Norman, 43, a former Georgia State environmental engineer, is the owner of Patchwork City Farms, a 1.2-acre farm in the middle of town that produces organic fruits, vegetables and herbs for restaurants. and local farmers markets.< /p>

She put her knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit to good use as the host of Magnolia Network's "Homegrown" series. In each episode, Mrs. Norman, also known as Farmer J, helps someone turn an often wild and woolly outdoor space into a beautiful, functional backyard farmhouse. (The show's third season premiered on April 1.)

Ms. Norman spent his early years in Queens, New York, before moving with his family to Connecticut and then Georgia. When she arrived at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, she volunteered at a boys and girls club, sometimes helping with planting projects.

ImageWhen Jamila Norman isn't helping families turn outdoor space into productive gardens, she's planting herself in her century-old craft home in Atlanta. "I was looking for an older house, high ceilings, fireplaces, all that good stuff," she said. I didn't grow up gardening at all,” she said.