On a quarter acre of land on Palmetto Avenue in North Memphis, more than 100 people looked on as fritillary butterflies shed their cocoons and flew skyward.

It was the grand opening for Mia’s Orchard in mid-September, a formerly blighted property turned into a local source of fresh produce.

By all accounts, Mia Madison was committed to the environment, food security and Memphis.

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She was the executive director of Memphis Tilth for four years before she died in a car crash on July 10, 2022. 

Memphis City Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas purchased the Palmetto Avenue property years ago and planned to turn it into a rental property before a fire burned it down. 

Rebuilding a house wasn’t feasible, so she donated it to the Community Redevelopment Agency’s (CRA) Block Wellness Program, which she said “transformed that entire cul-de-sac and showcases the possibilities when organizations work alongside the community to beautify it block by block.” 

These plots of land “beckon neighbors to find solace in meditation, reconnect with nature, nurture playfulness and cultivate bonds with each other,” the CRA said in a statement.

They also provide fresh produce in a food desert. 

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“North and South Memphis? That’s where vacant land is,” Madison said in an old video from the CRA. “But when we talk about vacant land in those communities from a negative standpoint, people say: ‘Oh, it’s disinvestment.’ What I see is opportunity, especially opportunity around growing food.”

Bobby and Derravia Rich, a married couple at the helm of Black Seeds Urban Farms, are the stewards of Mia’s Orchard. 

They met Madison years ago and bonded over their shared identities as Black urban farmers in Memphis. 

“Mia was like a sister, auntie, mentor,” Bobby said. 

She taught him how to best plant orchards and maintain fruit trees, so when the CRA approached the couple about stewarding the land, they knew they wanted to dedicate it to Madison. 

Services set for Mia Madison, executive director of Memphis Tilth

When Bobby thinks about Madison’s work, he’s struck by her ability to maximize productivity with limited space.

But he also recalls how her background as an anthropologist helped him understand their work in a larger framework of food sovereignty. 

“Mia continues to lead us in our efforts,” Derravia said. 

When the couple started drafting plans for the orchard, they knew Madison would want them to prioritize productivity. 

Trees growing pawpaws, persimmons and peaches line the gravel walkway winding through the property, muscadines grow along the fence line and native plants are dispersed throughout the orchard. There are oak trees for shade, too. 

Mia Madison, executive director of Memphis Tilth, dies in car crash

In the year since Madison’s death, butterfly sightings have been a source of comfort for her family and a reminder of her work in the garden. That’s why the Lichterman Nature Center released butterflies at the grand opening at the request of Bobby, Derravia and other friends of Madison.

“North and South Memphis? That’s where vacant land is. But when we talk about vacant land in those communities from a negative standpoint, people say: ‘Oh, it’s disinvestment.’ What I see is opportunity, especially opportunity around growing food.”

Mia Madison

Bobby and Derravia said the butterfly release signified the sudden transition from one state of being to another, much like Madison’s unexpected death. 

What would Madison say if she could see the orchard memorializing her work? 

“I think she would say: ‘I know y’all can put some more stuff on this land,’” Bobby said.