Our Farmer

Dr. Hamidah Sharif-Amanyi

At the heart of Sweet Valley Farm & Harvest Barn is
Dr. Hamidah Sharif-Amanyi—farmer, educator, community builder, and visionary advocate for food access in rural Georgia.

Hamidah blends a lifetime of agricultural roots with years of public health leadership to build a place where families can access fresh, affordable produce with dignity. Her work on the farm is deeply connected to her work in the classroom, research lab, and community: the belief that every household—no matter their income—deserves healthy food and the opportunity to thrive.

A Scholar With Soil on Her Hands

Dr. Sharif-Amanyi is an Associate Professor of Public Health at Fort Valley State University, where she teaches, mentors, and leads innovative programs focused on food security, nutrition, health equity, and global community partnerships. Her research centers on hunger, rural health, and the lived experiences of women farmers in the U.S. South and Ghana.

Global Perspective, Local Impact

Hamidah’s work is shaped by years of international engagement. She has traveled to Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Namibia, meeting with farmers, growers, and NGOs committed to eliminating global hunger. Standing in fields with smallholder farmers, walking through village markets, and learning from communities innovating with limited resources has profoundly influenced her approach.

These experiences give her a unique lens—one that connects the struggles of rural families abroad with the daily realities of families right here in Middle Georgia. This global perspective fuels her passion, sharpens her purpose, and grounds every decision she makes at Sweet Valley.

Why Sweet Valley Exists

Sweet Valley Farm began as a small family homestead—but it quickly grew into a mission. Rising grocery prices, limited healthy options in rural areas, and the everyday struggles families face inspired Hamidah to do something different.

What started with a few garden rows and backyard chickens turned into a movement to reinvent local food access through:

• The $10 Harvest Bag Program
  A weekly 10-item produce bag designed so families don’t have to choose between groceries and gas.

• The Harvest Barn
  A micro-grocery alternative located right on the farm, offering fresh food at fair prices.

• Community Partnerships
  Collaborations with churches, neighbors, and local leaders to feed families with respect and compassion.

Every initiative reflects her core belief: food is healing, community is powerful, and every family deserves both.

A Farmer Who Leads With Heart

Hamidah farms with intention—growing what people actually cook, pricing with empathy, and designing farm systems that make fresh food accessible to everyone. She raises chickens, ducks, and goats, manages the gardens and orchard, and personally plans every Harvest Bag with the needs of working families in mind.

Her approach is simple but transformative:
Feed people well. Treat them with dignity. Build community through nourishment.

A Life Devoted to Service

Whether she is harvesting cabbage at sunrise, teaching MPH students, stocking the Harvest Barn, or working with partners in rural Ghana, Dr. Sharif-Amanyi brings the same values to every space: compassion, integrity, and the belief that small acts of service can spark big change.

Sweet Valley Farm & Harvest Barn is a reflection of her life’s work—where farming meets public health, and community meets hope.