Violence and resulting protests this summer have many organizations seeking to understand our role in bringing about the equitable world we feel so far from right now.
As part of seeking this understanding and change, MCA staff have been reading, and strongly recommend, "Farming While Black" by Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm in upstate NY. This is one of a series of posts about racial justice with resources we've found helpful from this book and elsewhere.
As part of seeking this understanding and change, MCA staff have been reading, and strongly recommend, "Farming While Black" by Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm in upstate NY. This is one of a series of posts about racial justice with resources we've found helpful from this book and elsewhere.
Soul Fire Farm and their work to train BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) farmers was covered in this CNN article. The piece shares a startling statistic:
"There were only 45,500 Black farmers — roughly 1.3% of all US farmers — in the United States in 2017 according to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture. A century ago that figure was much, much higher. In 1920, the USDA counted 925,708 Black farmers, amounting to about 14% of all farmers at the time. Over the years, Black farmers have been driven off their land and faced discrimination from the Department of Agriculture.— roughly 1.3% of all US farmers — in the United States in 2017 according to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture. A century ago that figure was much, much higher. In 1920, the USDA counted 925,708 Black farmers, amounting to about 14% of all farmers at the time. Over the years, Black farmers have been driven off their land and faced discrimination from the Department of Agriculture."
In fact, as mentioned in a previous post, the largest civil suit award in history - $2 billion went to Black farmers who for decades lost land, opportunities and other resources at the hands of the USDA as part of the 'Pigford' case.
"There were only 45,500 Black farmers — roughly 1.3% of all US farmers — in the United States in 2017 according to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture. A century ago that figure was much, much higher. In 1920, the USDA counted 925,708 Black farmers, amounting to about 14% of all farmers at the time. Over the years, Black farmers have been driven off their land and faced discrimination from the Department of Agriculture.— roughly 1.3% of all US farmers — in the United States in 2017 according to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture. A century ago that figure was much, much higher. In 1920, the USDA counted 925,708 Black farmers, amounting to about 14% of all farmers at the time. Over the years, Black farmers have been driven off their land and faced discrimination from the Department of Agriculture."
In fact, as mentioned in a previous post, the largest civil suit award in history - $2 billion went to Black farmers who for decades lost land, opportunities and other resources at the hands of the USDA as part of the 'Pigford' case.
"Farming While Black" highlights farming by BIPOC folks as "cultural reclamation," and a way to help ease what many call food deserts, but Ms. Penniman calls "Food Apartheid" - to highlight the fact that healthy food outlets are not placed by the wind or other natural system, but by the choices of people in power. Knock on effects of access to healthy food include stemming the tide of health disparities in communities of color.
It all starts by securing land. We are proud to have connected over 500 acres of land with new and expanding farmers in Montgomery County. Farmers are looking for anywhere from 1-50 acres. To learn more about leasing or renting land visit our Land Link program.
It all starts by securing land. We are proud to have connected over 500 acres of land with new and expanding farmers in Montgomery County. Farmers are looking for anywhere from 1-50 acres. To learn more about leasing or renting land visit our Land Link program.
