Gardening with Goo Teaches the Community about Healthy Living
Corey Paul aka Gardening with Goo in his garden. (Picture taken from social media)
Corey Paul, better known as “Gardening with Goo,” made his passion for healthy living into a movement in his community and on social media. The Florida father and gardening guru is an inspiration for his community and the Black community.
“2021 is the year of growth for me in all areas of my life. Best thing I could’ve ever done was plant a seed, and it’s deeper than just vegetables,” said Paul. “I want to inspire people who haven’t gardened before.”
Paul comes from a gardening background. His mother worked on tomato fields for years for 25-50 cents a day. His father went to the United States from Haiti, where he grew bananas and sweet potatoes. From their experiences, they taught him what it takes to grow vegetables and sustain a lifestyle for himself and his family. “I don’t have to sell crops. I can grow for my family,” he said. “You can be your [own] boss.”
He leaped into gardening on his own because of his kids. A fisherman by trade, Paul wanted to provide for his family financially and encourage his kids to eat healthier. Taking his mother’s advice about gardening, Paul first started growing his favorite vegetable, collard greens transplants.
“She taught me how to crop my collard greens, what type of soil to use to grow them. I learned a lot from her,” he said.
From there, he learned how to nurture the seeds and his small garden turned into a teachable moment for his kids and the community in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Gardening with Goo highlighting one of the books he’s read on gardening in his district in Florida, Zone 10A. (Picture by Corey Paul)
He took his knowledge further by reading books on Florida gardening in Zone 10A, which is where he lives. He also watched numerous YouTube videos. Paul learned the benefits of growing his favorite vegetables, including bell peppers and lettuce, and wanted to share the awareness with his friends and family.
“I’m learning that these vegetables provide vitamins for our bodies and we can provide this to our people. We would cook 20-30 bunches of collard greens on Sundays and feed our community's people. We want everyone to adapt to a healthy living,” said Paul.
He wanted to reach a bigger audience and help people create their gardens in their cities, so he created the persona Gardening with Goo. This persona lead him to share tips and videos for his viewers on social media. On Facebook, Paul shares some of his favorite recipes, including Sweet Potato Brownies. On Instagram, the audience sees Goo's personality shine through the pictures of him showing his latest vegetables. And his journey to living off the land is documented on YouTube, where Paul takes viewers to discover a greener lifestyle.
Paul’s favorite vegetable, collard greens, in his garden. (Picture by Corey Paul)
Paul admitted that becoming Gardening with Goo was not always easy. "People told me I'm lame," he laughed off. "But I kept pushing. Most gardeners associate white women as experts, so I wanted people to see a Black man gardening. Also, learning gardening was a struggle. I had to know certain types of bugs attack plants, which will ruin any garden. That frustrated me, but I had to learn which bug to treat."
Learning from his mistakes, Gardening with Goo is pushing his thirst for knowledge to his community and encourages others. He has teamed up with the gardening club, Cultural Alliance of Lincoln Park to create a community garden.
"We want people to love gardening," Paul said about the collaboration. "We want Black-owned businesses to start in farmer's markets in food deserts in Fort Pierce."
Paul also hopes to pass his knowledge to the youth.
“I want the younger generation to understand the importance of growing their food,” he said. “I want them to be able to teach the generation that comes after them. It’s important to teach these things to the kids in our communities, so we can help build up our neighborhoods.”
Follow Gardening with Goo on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.