Storytime
At Mama Kuku’s Homestead, the pilot site of patent-pending BioCycle Hub and EscarGrow—we’re connecting the dots between compost, culture, and the kind of design work that actually gives a damn.
I’m Ozi Manning: artist, systems thinker, and the inventor of snail-powered composting harvesters that turn food waste into soil, escargot, and circular possibilities.
This is my journey. . .
🎨 Between the brushstrokes: painting through the noise
In the thick of designing sustainable food systems and snail-powered compost tech, I return to painting as ritual, release, and rhythm.
🏡When the snails came indoors—for science
From a napkin sketch over miso soup to a smart, sealed, snail farm that’s… well, kind of cuote. Voice-controlled. Compact. And ready to harvest. . .
Curious how carrot peels turn into escargot and compost, no acreage required?
👀Peek inside the patent-pending EscarGrow design process:
🤷🏾♀️Why are Africans in the U.S. afraid to farm snails?
I’m Ozi Manning— a Nigerian woman who invented the first patent-pending snail-harvesting/composting system in the U.S. Let’s get into it!
(Pictured: screengrab of @Princess Xena “MUKBANG| Peppered SNAILS & Asung. I did Love Prank on My Husband😅”)
👵🏾The story of Mama Kuku’s Homestead
Imagine this: In Amuzi, Nigeria, my paternal village, a gentle mist hangs in the air as I awaken. I’m nine years old, nestled in the warmth of my bed, slowly becoming aware of the world around me. The soft patter of rain mingles with the distant crowing of roosters.