Where did the land go?
From the newly freed slaves of 1863 to today’s black farmers, African-Americans have fought to acquire and maintain land, and have encountered crippling obstacles along the way. In 1910, nearly one million black farmers in the U.S. owned a total of 15 million acres; by 1969 they held only 6 million acres. In 1920, blacks […]
Considering Land Access — Nationally
Syndicated NPR show All Things Considered featured the creativity of young farmers earlier this week. Highlighting Maple Avenue Market Farm in Virginia and talked to Lindsay Lusher Shute of Hearty Roots Farm in New York. Listen, see pictures and read the story by Dan Charles at the NPR website.
How Globilization Effects Farmers and the Food We Eat
Early in 2013, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), published this paper on what we call “land grabs”, or purchase of farmland by non-farming parties. Land Grabs and Fragile Food Systems: The Role of Globalization, by Sophia Murphy Used under creative commons license from CIMMYT. Farmers around the world are having land they’ve […]
Agrarian Investments in New England
Making a profit off of real estate investment is no new thing, even when it comes to farmland. Land grabs make the land valuable without valuing the land. There are some investment groups, though, that aim to invest in land sustainably. One such group is The Entrepreneur Agrarian Fund (EAF), a private equity fund establishing […]
Women Taking Over the Land
The fate of farm and ranchland transferred into the hands of the next generation is not always a continuance of the agricultural legacy. Deep in the heart of Texas, women farmers may change that fate. Read this Texas Tribune story about women farmers taking over the land.
Conserving Ranches in California
California has seen development threaten agricultural lands for decades. Organizations in the Golden State, like the California Rangeland Trust, are working to save farms and ranches for working agriculture. California Rangeland Trust has preserved over 275,000 acres of privately owned ranches since 1998. In 2012, they helped facilitate a conservation easement on Goodwin Ranch, putting […]
Iowa Public Radio Examines Organic Corn Shortage
The demand for organic food is growing, but in the Midwest, organic is far from king. A report from Iowa Public Radio examines the demand and need for supply of organic corn. The article follows farmer Tom Frantzen (see Farm Profile) who has made the transition to organic, and examines a changing food chain. […]
New Regulations Could Hurt Local Food Systems
Land Access is only one of the obstacles facing beginning farmers. Once these young agrarians have found access and financing for land, they enter the maze of barriers that face all small farmers. Public comment is open until November 15th on a recent proposed regulation that could serve as a major barrier for small farmers. […]
Farm Profile: Our Table Co-op
The fresh food that makes it to our tables follows a rough and rocky road. It must survive the legal, organizational and natural trials of a farm business. At Our Table Co-op, in Sherwood, OR, they are doing their best to take the uncertainty out of our food’s future with an innovative and intentional business […]
Boots to Fill
I was working the Union Square Greenmarket a couple of weeks ago, when a woman, probably in her late twenties said she wanted to be a farmer. Her husband was enmeshed in big business and they wanted out. She wanted to know how to go about it, and since we were there from Vermont, she […]