It has never been a better time to support Black farmers.
As the chorus of “Black Lives Matter” rang out across the United States in the past few months, Americans have become more likely to seek out Black-owned business. Citing “a surge in online searches for Black-owned businesses,” even Google has hopped on the bandwagon. The search giant now lets Black business owners list themselves as such, making it much easier for customers to find and support them.
But how many Black farmers are there left to support?
Right now, according to the USDA’s latest figures, Black farmers comprise less than 2% of all farmers in the United States. In a 2019 analysis, the Center for American Progress released a report detailing how the devastating effect of discrimination by the USDA itself led to black farmers losing 80% of their land from 1910 to 2007. “The impact of structural racism—or systematic discrimination by private and public institutions—over the course of U.S. history on the wealth of black families is staggering,” the report said.
However, despite those dire figures, Black-owned farms are growing, according to the USDA. Even as the overall number of farmers are shrinking, the number of Black farmers is on the rise. Despite the odds against them, Black farmers are reclaiming the earth and using it to heal racial traumas for whole communities and to foster a closer relationship to the land. Here are eight to support today.
Grow Greater Englewood
Chicago, IL
https://www.growgreater.org
Established in 2014, Grow Greater Englewood promotes community wealth-building through sustainable agriculture. Cooperative farming is a central aspect of GGE’s community organizing, which seeks to turn struggling neighborhood Englewood into a “food oasis,” and play an active role in the “real food revolution that can generate equity, prosperity and wealth for local residents.”
Root Life
New Haven, CT
https://www.rootlife.org
Praxis, the owner of Root Life, has been urban farming in New Haven for eight years, working as a fulltime farmer and environmental educator for Common Ground High School and volunteering with local agricultural organizations such as New Haven Farms, The New Haven Land Trust, The Yale Sustainable Food Project and The Yale Botanical Gardens. In addition to working for and volunteering for local agricultural organizations, Praxis also helps to establish local community gardens and facilitate after-school garden club programs.
Chi City Foods
Chicago, IL
https://www.chicityfoods.com
Founded in 2018 by Xavier Maatra, Chi City Foods is driven by the passion to provide poor and marginalized groups in Chicago with access to fresh produce and training opportunities in urban agriculture. The current incubator farm is located in Altgeld Gardens, one of the most isolated housing developments in Chicago. This community is in a food desert with only one convenience store located within two miles. As the farm grows, its priority will be to train and hire people directly from the neighborhood, especially youth.
Mother’s Finest Family Urban Farms
Winston Salem, NC
https://www.mothersfinesturbanfarms.com
Through the leadership of Mother/ Certified Beekeeper and Master Gardener Samantha “Foxx” Winship, Mother’s Finest Family Urban Farms promotes innovative farming practices, product development and operations. In addition to growing all kinds of produce, the farm cultivates bees, chickens, worms and mushrooms. They have even trained their children to handle basic farm operations, beekeeping, vermiculture, poultry care and growing food!
Your Bountiful Harvest
Chicago, IL
https://yourbountifulharvest.wixsite.com/yourbountifulharvest
Your Bountiful Harvest is a sustainable urban farm and garden consultation service that provides environmental and hands-on farm education classes on-site in your backyard, community garden, farmers markets and/or classroom. Non-GMO, organic and heirloom seedlings are also available for purchase during the Spring (mid-late May) and Fall (Mid-September).
Farms to Grow
Oakland, CA
https://www.farmstogrow.com
Farms to Grow lists three missions: 1) To promote the sustainability and legacy of Black farmers as well as sprout the next generation of small farmers; 2) To document and disseminate farm history to advance the public’s understanding of the important roles of Black farmers; and 3) To improve the access to urban food markets including schools, restaurants, and individual consumers for Black and other underserved farmers.
Fresh Life Organic
Houston, TX
https://www.freshlifehtx.com
Fresh Life Organic was launched in 2016 to provide agriculture assistance to urban and rural areas and was created as a response to a community need for fresh local veggies. Over the last few years, the farm has expanded and produced multiple farms and gardens from Houston to now around the world. The farm specializes in Aquaponics/ Hydroponics, row crop farming, operations, risk management, and marketing agriculture products and is best known for its sustainable agriculture planning designing, building, and maintaining of farms, gardens, and greenhouses.
Footprint Farms
Jackson, MS
https://footprintfarmsms.com/
Cindy Ayers Elliott founded this 68-acre farm with a focus on agritourism for community development in Jackson, MS. Growing and array of fruits and vegetables, raising meat goats, chickens, cattle, and horses, she believes that “planting seeds in the earth will grow fresh vegetables, however, planting a seed in the minds of young people will create a new universe of scholars.”
