In the spirit of NAAGA Emergency Support Team (NEST), listed below are farming resources.  The advent of black associations and black owned farmers markets around the country changes the narrative.  With collaborative thinking and execution, all things are possible. 

National Black Farmers Association (NBFA)

Dr. John Boyd was a hard-working fourth-generation Virginia farmer just trying to stay ahead. In the 1980s, his loan request was turned down several times by the Dept. of Agriculture. In conjunction, his requests for other forms of state assistance available for farmers were denied.

John started the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) as there weren’t any others to turn to for support. He marched his NBFA members to Washington, met with President Clinton, and testified before Congress.

After he visited Washington, people were willing to take his calls, which gave his members a stronger voice. It appeared that years of racial discrimination against black farmers were questioned. Boyd’s fight for equality for farmers of color continues today.

This “defender of civil rights” has served in many leadership roles, including an agricultural advisor for Virginia’s state and candidate for Secretary of Agriculture during the Obama administration. He was interviewed by 60 Minutes, CNN, The Washington Post, and Nightline; Ebony Magazine currently ranks him as one of the most influential African-Americans.  Dr. Boyd continues to live in Virginia and work on his

Black Owned Farms & Farmer’s Markets

It has been reported black owned farms make up less than 2 percent of all farms in the United States.  In addition, black farmers lost 80 percent of their farmland from 1910 to 2007, often due to limited access to loans or insurance needed to sustain their businesses. There is also a documented history of discrimination by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Here is a list of Black owned farms and food gardens that you can support in your local area.

Alabama

Darden Bridgeforth & Sons (Tanner, AL)

Arizona

Millbrook Urban Farms (Phoenix, AZ )

California

African American Farmers of California demo farm (Fresno, CA)

Connecticut

Root Life (New Haven, CT)

Florida

Harvest Blessing Garden (Jacksonville, FL)

Missouri

Shire Gate Farm (Owensville, MO)

New HampshireNew England Sweetwater Farm and Distillery (Winchester, NH)

New Jersey

Ward’s Farm (Salem, NJ)

New York

Rise & Root Farm (Chester, NY)

Ohio

Rid-All Green Partnership (Cleveland, OH)

South Carolina

Gullah Farmers Cooperative (St. Helena Island, SC)

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Texas

Lee Lover’s Clover Honey (Houston, TX)

Vermont

Clemmons Family Farm (Charlottesville, VT)