For CC Brooks, hydroponic farming is equally, or even more, about shifting power than just about growing food. "My number one rule and the number one thing you always hear me say is, 'If you control the food, you control the population,'" Brooks emphasizes. "It's that simple."
That philosophy sits at the center of his work as Houston's only Black and gay hydroponic farmer, entrepreneur, and founder of The Metallic Sunflower Foundation. It's also what positions Brooks as something more than a grower. He's truly a community builder, an educator, and a vocal advocate for equity in Houston's food systems.
Brooks' path into agriculture wasn't traditional. He traces it back to his time running markets at Pearl Bar, Houston's only lesbian bar, where he began thinking more deeply about how to serve underserved communities. "I really started trying to figure out what I could do to help the masses, even if it was just feeding them or even employing them," he explains. "Working at Pearl Bar, I learned that a lot of the trans community really didn't have many outlets."
That realization became a turning point. After learning hydroponic farming, Brooks began teaching others—and particularly members of the trans community—how to grow their own food and create sustainable income streams. "It's a way that they can support themselves," he notes.
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