By Immani Love
The first time I saw a black person working on a farm I thought, “That must suck to have to do that all day in the sun!” I was 8 years old at the time on a school field trip. The next time I saw a black person working on a farm I thought, “That must suck to have to do all of that hard work and be paid so little.” I was 15 years old and was learning about agricultural jobs and the 4C program in high school. The 3rd time I saw a black person working on a farm I was in my 30’s and was visiting my younger brother Jalal at “Sweet Freedom Farm” in upstate New York. There were dozens of people of color working the farm, tending to animals, harvesting vegetables, and generally being the coolest people I had met in a long time! This time I thought, “It’s got to really suck to not know that Black owned and operated farms like this exist in our country.”
Now we’ve all seen the community garden projects in our cities and even the agricultural programs in our schools and colleges but, when was the last time you actually went to a farm? A farm with cows, chickens, horses, pigs, and other livestock. Where quadrants of the farm were neatly plowed and brimming with various vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers, and even a grove of maple trees for the most amazing maple syrup you’ve ever had! A barn not only for the tools of the trade but for an artist’s retreat and a workshop space for educational tours and seminars. How amazing is that? Now add to the fact that these are all young, educated, people of color working together in harmony to feed and educate a community. Pretty dope, huh? How about you enhance that concept by having a mission statement like “Grow Food, not Prisons.” Cool, right? The neighboring farm, “Soul Fire Farm,” was just as amazing with predominately women of color running the show. Their mission? Uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system. I was in awe. I left there wondering how more people didn’t know about farms like that.
Fast forward to just a few years ago, the OWN network launched a wildly popular TV series called “Queen Sugar” based on a black family in the south and their journey to accept their heritage as sugar cane farmers. It was unapologetically black, dramatic, sexy, and had the whole country glued to their televisions every week! Social media platforms were full of “no spoilers” pleas from those who might have been so unfortunate as to miss it on the night it aired. With stories of racism, bad crops, hurricanes, and other things that affect black farmers in the south, it was captivating. It was so refreshing to see real stories of black farmers on mainstream television, and it rekindled my hope that this sparked awareness of them in America.
The thing about seeing representation in the farming industry is not only does it allow for our youth to see that there is a place for us there, but that the current state of the world needs us there. It allows those who have the passion to work with the land to see the food they eat come from the work they do. It provides the opportunity for small farms like “Sweet Freedom Farm” and “Soul Fire Farm” to not only provide for their communities but to further their respective missions of freedom from prison pipelines, education of BIPOC farmers, and uprooting racism in the food industry. These are just a couple of farms that I personally know of but just think of how many more farms and cooperatives there must be in your community. There are several organizations that support these farmers like The National Black Food and Justice Alliance (NBFJA) and Black Urban Growers (BUGS) and several others that I’m sure a quick internet dive can provide but these organizations need support. With a growing need to boost our immune systems and live healthier lifestyles in general, these farms and organizations are crucial.
The next time you go to your local farmers market, try to pay attention to the people you are getting your fresh veggies and fruit from. Take note of how many are people of color and if you’re lucky enough to find a farm owned by minorities, TALK to them, find out more about them, and most of all SUPPORT them. They need you as much as you need the food they provide.
For more information, please visit…
Sweet Freedom Farm
Soul Fire Farm
The National Black Food and Justice Alliance (NBFJA)
