Founder and Owner
Aniki Shani Coates is the Founder and Owner of Know Good & Well
She serves Know Good & Well as a professional, certified Horticultural Therapist and a certified sustainable urban farmer. She has led therapeutic horticulture sessions for a multitude of service locations, including children’s hospitals, senior centers, and schools for the Chicago Botanic Garden as the Therapeutic Horticulture Coordinator. She is currently the Senior Horticulture and Wellness Manager for Bethel New Life, a nonprofit organization located in the Austin neighborhood in Chicago focused on community revitalization and holistic wellness.
Aniki is a certified Beekeeper and Environmental Literacy Educator. She is also a professional chef and culinary nutritionist through Washburne Culinary Institute with a focus on plant-based cuisine and food literacy.
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Aniki holds a Master Urban Farmer certification through the University of Illinois Extension, certificates in Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture from the Chicago Botanic Garden | Sustainable Urban Agriculture from City Colleges of Chicago, a certificate in Good Agricultural Practices from Illinois Extension, and is a Produce Safety Alliance Certified Grower.
She is currently pursuing her graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling, clinical herbalism, and certification as an arborist. She infuses nature as a healing modality into creating effective, holistic programming and methodologies that uproot any notion of lack or incapability for participants.
My Story: My Utmost for His Highest
My Story: Roots of Wellness
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Hello, I'm Aniki Shani Coates, the founder and owner of Know Good & Well, a holistic wellness venture dedicated to therapeutic horticulture, urban farming, and culinary arts. My journey into this field is deeply intertwined with the life and legacy of my southern-born parents, Raymond Middlebrooks Jr. and Geraldine Middlebrooks, and is rooted in my deep faith in God.
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Growing up in Gary, Indiana, I was blessed to be raised by parents whose love for Jesus Christ, family and community, and gardening was unparalleled. My father, Raymond Middlebrooks Jr., was more than just a gardener; he was a provider and a pillar of our community. Our backyard was not just a garden; it was a sanctuary, a place of learning, and a source of nourishment for our family, neighbors, and church community. He fed many from his garden, offering fresh vegetables and herbs to anyone in need. His garden was a testament to his generosity, his faith, and his belief in the power of food to bring people together.
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My father's influence on me was profound. From a young age, I accompanied him in the garden, learning the intricacies of planting, nurturing, and harvesting. It taught me that gardening was not just about growing food; it was about cultivating a connection with the earth and with others. My observations extended beyond the physical aspects of gardening to the spiritual and emotional benefits of being in nature.
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My parents also taught me the importance of faith and love through Jesus Christ. Their guidance and teachings instilled in me a deep belief in the transformative power of God's love and the importance of living a life of purpose and service.
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One of the most significant lessons my father unconsciously imparted was the importance of understanding how what we eat affects our health, mental state, and longevity. We often spoke about the preventable diseases that plagued our community and how many of these could be alleviated through better dietary choices. Despite knowing better, my father had a difficult time eating the proper foods to keep him well. His struggles with maintaining a healthy diet, coupled with smoking cigarettes, a hard-to-kick habit, became a quest for me. I wanted to help him and others suffering from poor health to take care of themselves. Our life expectancy, which is correlated to how much time we have to discover and activate our purpose, is in danger when we do not take care of our health.
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After my father's passing on April 8, 2020, due to congestive heart failure, his teachings resonated with me more than ever. I decided to honor his memory by continuing his legacy of feeding the body and the soul through nature. People I've had the pleasure of coaching during their healing journey led me to pursue certifications in Horticultural Therapy, Environmental Literacy, Sustainable Urban Agriculture, and Horticulture from renowned institutions such as the Chicago Botanic Garden, the University of Illinois, and the Arturo Velasquez Institute of City Colleges of Chicago. My culinary training from the Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute further enriched my understanding of the profound impact of food on our health.
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Currently, I oversee and cultivate various gardens while creating and facilitating wellness programs that educate and empower communities. Through horticulture & wellness programming, children, veterans, seniors, and individuals with developmental disabilities take ownership to improve their quality of life by learning how to create natural, plant-based products for preventative and healing self-care. Using plant, culinary, and cosmetic sciences combined with horticultural therapy, they experience first-hand how the natural and cultivated plant kingdom can improve their mood and coping capacity by reducing levels of stress, depression, and anxiety, and naturally boosting their immune systems, as well as nourishing their bodies.
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Know Good & Well embodies my vision of holistic wellness, offering a range of services that integrate therapeutic horticulture, culinary arts, and wellness education. Our flagship program is designed to enhance mental and physical health through nature-based activities and plant-based product creation. We provide programs tailored to meet the unique needs of diverse populations, including children, seniors, and those with special medical needs.
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My father's legacy lives on through the work we do at Know Good & Well. My belief in the power of plants and nature to heal, nourish, inspire, and teach is the cornerstone of our mission. Guided by Christian values and principles to give all glory and acknowledgment to He who made it all, I believe that Know Good & Well is my God-given purpose. I invite you to join us in this journey to cultivate wellness, one seed of life and purpose at a time.
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With Love...Take Care of Yourself,
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Aniki Coates
Founder and Owner, Know Good & Well
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Contact
We are always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
224.442.3068