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Southern SOIL
Jovan Sage:
with Food in Mind
J
OVAN SAGE BRINGS HER EXPERIENCE AND PASSION FOR A MINDFUL CONNECTION TO FOOD TO READERS IN EVERY ISSUE. AN HERBALIST AND WELLNESS COACH, JOVAN HAS HER OWN LINE OF TEAS, BITTERS, KOMBUCHA AND MORE AVAILABLE THROUGH SAGE’S
LARDER. SHE IS ALSO THE CO-OWNER AND RESIDENT FOOD ALCHEMIST OF THE FARMER AND THE LARDER IN BRUNSWICK.
I am the creator, herbalist & wellness coach behind
and enjoy food in a deeper way, to recreate those
Sage’s Larder and resident food alchemist and
childhood market joys. I dove into the world of
owner at The Farmer & The Larder in Historic
farmers markets, cookbook collecting, gourmet
Downtown Brunswick Georgia. My story begins in
goods stores, gardening, food preservation and
Kansas City, Missouri with a little bit of New York
fermentation. I was hungry to learn more about
City in the middle.
where my food came from and how food evolved over the last 50-100 years. This lead me to lec-
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As a little kid working in my grandfather’s shop at
tures, books, building my first rooftop garden and
the City Market, I got to explore the different food
becoming an urban chicken-keeping apprentice.
stalls, food trucks and farmers stands. Touching, seeing and tasting food from all over the world as
A nine hour espresso class led to working in a cafe
well as local farms. It was there that I discovered
and starting what would become Sage’s Larder -
the intoxicating allure of rich coffees, fresh herbs
focusing on jams, syrups, teas and breads. I then
and international spices and teas – lavenders,
bridged my social and economic justice experi-
mints, curries, fenugreek, cumin, peppers, ginger
ence with food justice and farming advocacy orga-
& turmeric. As an 8 year old, working the counter I
nizations. My work then expanded to becoming a
learned to count up change, mix essential and fra-
cafe and food retail consultant and then working
grance oils, and interact with people from all over
as Engagement Director for Slow Food USA for
the world including Nigeria, India and Middle East.
two years where I had the opportunity to live the
This foundation has shaped my palate, influenced
slow food life and travel the world advocating for
my spice and herbalist cabinet, and sparked my
good, clean and fair food for all. This work would
desire to travel.
alter the next decade of my life, leading me to meeting my business and life partner and moving
As it happens, life takes over but you never forget
to Georgia in 2014 and opening The Farmer & The
those early memories. I found myself living in New
Larder in 2015.
York City, working on social justice issues and caught up in the whirlwind of fast food and street
Our space, The Farmer & The Larder, was created
food. I was wanting to change my relationship to
from our love of food and crafting amazing small
