You can take the villager out of the village, but you can’t take the village out of the villager. Prof. Charles Choti and his wife Dr. Truphena Choti are living proof of that old saying. From the heart of Kenya to Maryland, they’ve brought a taste of home with them—literally.
Through their venture, AfriThrive Cultural Farm, they grow a wide variety of African traditional vegetables, preserving their heritage while nourishing a community far from home.
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Nestled in Poolesville, Maryland, AfriThrive Cultural Farm is a vibrant agricultural haven where African traditions thrive. The Chotis, originally from Kenya, grow a wide range of African traditional vegetables all organically and with deep respect for indigenous knowledge.
Their crops include medicinal and nutrient-rich vegetables such as managu (African nightshade), mrenda (jute mallow), kunde (cowpeas leaves), terere (amaranth), and sagaa (spider plant) greens known across Africa for their healing properties and ancestral significance.
Their farm is not just about food; it’s about identity, healing, and legacy. It serves both the Kenyan diaspora and an increasingly diverse group of health-conscious consumers eager to explore African greens.
Each season, thousands of Kenyans and other Africans make the pilgrimage to AfriThrive Farm not just for fresh produce, but for a taste of home, a sense of belonging, and a reconnection to their roots. These vegetables are more than food; they are medicine, memory, and identity.
AfriThrive is more than a farm—it’s a cultural bridge. In a world where globalization often erodes tradition, the Chotis are cultivating something rare: a living archive of African agricultural heritage on American soil. Their work nourishes not only bodies, but souls—especially for diaspora communities longing for the familiar scent of sukumawiki simmering in the kitchen.
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The Choti’s story is a testament to how immigrants contribute not just to the economy but also to the cultural richness of their new home. By turning farmland in Maryland into a thriving hub of African agriculture, the Chotis are doing more than farming—they’re planting cultural roots.
