How One Hopewell Farmer Turned a Diagnosis into a Mission

Melanie "Mel" Mason (right) at her farmers market booth

When Melanie "Mel" Mason was diagnosed with diabetes 12 years ago, she made a choice that would change her life. “I didn’t want to go the medication route,” Mel said. “So I started growing my own food."

What began as a personal experiment soon became a passion and a way to give back to others. On her small farm, M&M Organic Vegetables, in Prince George, Virginia, Mason grows a wide range of organic fruits and vegetables, along with free-range, organic-fed chickens. She’s especially known for her berries, which she picks the day before market to make sure they’re as fresh as possible. Mason makes sugar-free jams using those berries, something she says customers really appreciate. “A lot of my clients are looking for sugar-free, healthy items,” she said. “They want options that taste good and are good for them.” Anything that doesn’t sell at the market is canned right away to seal in freshness, and nothing goes to waste.

M&M Organic Veggies canned vegetables at the Hopewell Farmers Market

Through years of growing and eating healthy food, she has seen her own health transform. Type 2 diabetes is strongly influenced by diet and physical activity. Many people can lower their blood sugar, and sometimes reduce or even eliminate their need for medication, through lifestyle changes. “I’m no longer diabetic because of healthy eating,” she shared proudly.

For Mel, farming is also about educating others on how to incorporate healthy foods into their diets. “I try to teach people what different foods can do for their health,” she said. “Everyone should have access to low-cost healthy choices and live a better life through healthy food.”

That’s why she loves selling at the Hopewell Farmers Market, a Virginia Fresh Match partner. The market allows her to connect directly with customers who use SNAP and other nutrition nutrition assistance programs to buy fresh produce. “Hopewell Farmers Market helps our community,” Mel said. “It gives people a chance to eat better and feel better.”

Certified organic vegetables, grown by Mel

Mel’s story is proof that access to fresh food can change lives, and that one person’s commitment to health can ripple through an entire community. Find Mel Mason of M&M Organic Vegetables at the Hopewell Farmers Market in downtown Hopewell, VA.

Learn more about the Virginia Fresh Match program and participating locations at virginiafreshmatch.org/locations.

Blackberry plants burst with fruit at M&M Organic Veggies