Dr. Marleshia Hall, a native of Greene County, is an experienced educator and leader with over 16 years of teaching experience. She serves as the Division Chair of Natural Sciences and a Biology Instructor at Shelton State Community College, where she oversees faculty, manages academic programs, and supports student success.
Dr. Hall earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Stillman College and holds a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology, a Master’s in Biology, and a Master’s in General Human Environmental Sciences with a focus on Rural Community Health from The University of Alabama.
Beyond academia, Dr. Hall is an entrepreneur and co-owner of Poppin’ Sisters Popcorn & Treats®️, a gourmet popcorn company, which began in November 2020 after years of providing treats along with her best friend (now business partner) for church events as a hobby. Poppin’ Sisters specializes in over 25 flavors of sweet and savory popcorn, along with other handcrafted treats, and shaved ice. Her business reflects her passion for quality, creativity, and bringing joy to others through food.
The popcorn is currently sold in several store and hotel locations including six Piggly Wiggly locations and Hotel Indigo- Downtown Tuscaloosa. You can also find The Poppin’ Sisters in Bryant-Denny Stadium at Alabama football games and at Coleman Coliseum for Alabama basketball games. They were one of the official vendors at the 2022 World Games held in Birmingham, Alabama.
Poppin’ Sisters has partnered with organizations and businesses like Visit Tuscaloosa, TTL (an engineering firm), and others to provide corporate gifts for their clients. Products are currently shipped nationwide to business clients and online customers.
In her free time, Dr. Hall enjoys spending time with family, especially her nieces and nephews, who lovingly call her the “fun auntie”. She is also a devoted worship leader and Sunday school teacher at Miracle Deliverance Temple in Boligee, Alabama.
Website: www.poppinsisterspopcorn.com
Tannur Ali is a Greene County homesteader and founder of iLOGIC, the Institute for the Love of Genius in Community. By honoring the natural gifts of each member, iLOGIC connects dope individuals through deep interactions with the land and community. The cornerstones of iLOGIC’s work are regenerative agriculture and industries, artistic expression, self-reliance and collective governance. A Philadelphia native with family roots in Southwest Georgia, Tannur is grateful to have found fertile soil to plant the seeds of iLOGIC in Greene County, Alabama.
Her business, iLOGIC Sustainable Industries, LLC is located at Solomon’s Garden, a 5-acre homestead and sustainability experimentation space. Tannur tells us, “We use the wisdom of our Ancestors, elders and children in the interest of our collective future. iLOGIC grows vegetables, fruits, herbs and chickens; conducts land steward training and builds collective enterprises utilizing the bounty of the land and the genius of our members.”
Since 2017, iLOGIC at Solomon’s Garden has provided onsite training opportunities, connected with local farmers in search of work-trade opportunities and assisted local growers to install gardens on their land. Over 40 partners have participated in Homestead Incubation Trainings, with stays ranging from 4-hour work-trades to 12-month residential training programs. Several graduates of the program have purchased their own land and begun their homesteading journeys.
Tannur’s lifelong connection with the land and true grit blossomed in Greene County. Following the adage of farmers from way back, she works from “cain’t see to cain’t see,” drawing the very best from the red clay in Alabama’s Black Belt. An avid knowledge-chaser, Tannur learned that the Black Belt is not only a region with a host of Black farmers, the term technically refers to the rich black soil beneath the surface that keeps our red clay fertile.
No project is too small or too large, as Greene County’s enthusiastic young homesteader tackles tasks in every aspect of her business. Taking on the challenge of installing necessary infrastructure, she has single-handedly built two outdoor kitchens, two shower houses, a deluxe chicken coop and a village of dog houses, among other structures.
Homestead Incubation Trainings provide an outlet for Tannur to share the immense knowledge and skills she has gained while cultivating deep connections in Greene County and throughout Alabama.
In addition to learning how to construct large and small projects, homesteading trainees are introduced to legal procedures for deed searches, writing and transfers; procedures for installing roads and utilities; municipal, county and state regulations regarding zoning and utilities and how to interface with local, state and national farming support organizations–the full range of what one needs to know to establish a lifestyle of self-reliance, community engagement and sustainability that can last for many generations.
Tannur Ali