CC Brooks Grows Food and Power Through Hydroponics

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.

Hydroponics, the method of growing plants without soil, allows Brooks to maximize both space and output. In just 750 square feet, he produces what would traditionally require acres of land. “I have 2,000 plants. That is equivalent to almost two acres,” he says. “I use 90% less water, and I can grow it faster than you can in traditional soil.”

But for Brooks, the real power of hydroponics lies in accessibility. “You can do this in your kitchen,” he explains. “This is something that’s really easy.”

That accessibility is key in neighborhoods like Acres Homes, where food access remains a persistent challenge. Brooks describes the reality of food deserts in Houston with clarity. “In Acres Homes, you’d have to get in your car and drive roughly two to three miles just to get to a grocery store,” he says. “The closest grocery stores don’t have any kind of fresh produce, and then you wonder why people don’t eat well.”

His solution of localized growing systems that allow communities to feed themselves is both practical and visionary. “With all those empty lots, we can convert them into growing stations where people can actually eat from,” he says.

That work is amplified through The Metallic Sunflower Foundation, a nonprofit born out of Brooks’ desire to create systems of mutual support and opportunity. “If I can get money and I can give it away to help people, the impact would be tremendous,” he says. “And it has been.”

The foundation’s name reflects Brooks’ philosophy. Inspired by his background in welding and the resilience of sunflowers, it symbolizes growth, adaptability, and collective strength. “The composite flower structure of a sunflower comes together and works to create the ultimate goal of a larger plant,” he explains. “It just keeps giving.”

Through the foundation, Brooks has created a model rooted in collaboration. This includes mentoring vendors, hosting community markets, and building systems where participants support one another.

His work also sits at the intersection of food justice, public health, and economic empowerment. Brooks is currently partnering with MD Anderson’s Be Well program to grow foods that help combat chronic illnesses. “We are able to grow faster and healthier,” he says. “Hydroponic farming creates community. It creates healthy living.”

At the same time, Brooks is keenly aware of what it means to show up in spaces where he feels isolated. “I already have a target on my back because I’m the only Black hydroponic farmer,” he says. “And, I’m also the gayest when I walk into the room.”

Rather than shrink from that visibility, he leans into it. He uses his platform to challenge inequities and expand access. “If I’m here, you’re going to hear what I have to say because it needs to be talked about,” he declares.

That visibility is also about inspiration. “I want to make as much noise as possible because there’s got to be other people out there,” he says. “This could be the inspiration for them.”

Brooks envisions scaling his work into something even larger, such as community-centered agricultural ecosystems that provide housing, employment, and food security. “I really want a huge farmland that allows me to create agro-eco housing for our trans community and other people who’ve been outcast,” he says.

Until then, he’s focused on continuing the work—one system, one plant, and one person at a time. “I’m not going to stop fighting the good fight,” Brooks says. “I’ll make a way.”

Follow The Metallic Sunflower Foundation on Instagram at @themetallicsunflowerfoundation.