Farm Commons

Agriculture in the United States was established on, with, and by the system of slavery – being the enslavement of black people by white people. Since the first people from Africa arrived on U.S. shores in 1619 into the system of enslavement, the legacy of oppression, racism, and discrimination has been passed down from generation to generation. Today, we see this in many areas of agriculture, especially the law. In this episode, we take a hard look at discrimination in the legal areas of lending and farmland access — how it works, what’s been done about it, and share supporting resources in these areas of law for black, indigenous, and peopler of color farming communities. Resources Mentioned: Southern Rural Development Center (SRCD)SRDC Heirs’ Property presentation (YouTube video)Tuskegee University Heir Property (PowerPoint Presentation)Farming While Black by Leah Penniman of Soul Fire FarmFamily Agriculture Resource Management Service (FARMS)Land Loss Prevention ProjectRAFI-USA Farmer HotlineFLAG Farmer H