For Part 2 of our field trip to Bonton Farms, Camille and Rich sit down with Melissa Metoyer, the Senior Director of Health Equity and Community Impact, to talk about what it really looks like when a neighborhood takes care of each other.

This conversation goes deep into health and wellness, but not in the abstract. We talk about real systems. Real people. And real outcomes. From medical and dental care to behavioral health, nutrition, financial stability, and workforce development, Melissa walks us through how Bonton Farms has built an integrated model where everything works together under one roof.

What stood out most is how intentional it all is. This isn’t charity. It’s dignity. It’s accountability. It’s neighbors supporting neighbors in ways that actually change lives long term.

Bonton Farms already had a national reputation for community transformation, but Melissa shares how the work has evolved into something scalable, measurable, and deeply human. This episode is about health equity, but more than that, it’s about what happens when a community decides it deserves better and builds the systems to make it happen.

If you care about health, wellness, community, or just seeing what’s possible when people stop talking and start building, this one is worth your time.

Check them out!

https://www.bontonfarms.org

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In this episode, we’re joined by director Vickie Washington to talk all things Fat Ham, the Pulitzer Prize winning comedy making its regional premiere at Dallas Theater Center.

We dig into Vickie’s journey as an artist, what drew her to this bold reinvention of Hamlet, and how Fat Ham uses humor, family tension, and truth to explore liberation and joy. Centered around a queer Black man caught between generational expectations and his own freedom, the play challenges cycles of violence while delivering laugh out loud moments and emotional depth.

This conversation pulls back the curtain on the show, the themes, and why Fat Ham is a must see production this season.

Show dates January 30 through February 8, 2026
Kalita Humphreys Theater
Written by James Ijames
Directed by Vickie Washington
A co production with Stage West Theatre

Mature content and adult language apply.

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Today on What In East Dallas Is Going On? we took a field trip to Bonton Farms and spent time with their CEO, Mark Jones. Mark is no ordinary CEO, and what’s happening at Bonton Farms is nothing short of remarkable.

This was our first time truly being on the ground out there, seeing the work, feeling the energy, and understanding just how powerful this model really is. What they’ve built should absolutely be duplicated across the country.

We had an inspiring, honest, and eye opening conversation about community, leadership, food access, dignity, and what real change actually looks like when people decide to do the work. Rich and Camille host this special field trip episode, and it’s one you’ll be thinking about long after it ends.

If you believe communities can be transformed when people show up with intention, this episode is for you.

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