August 9th has been designated by the United Nations as the international day of the world’s indigenous people. On this day people across the world work to raise awareness and protect the rights of Indigenous peoples across the globe. This year, Nathan Galaviz (Agrarian Commons) traveled to Omaha NE to
We’re thrilled to announce that LaShauna Austria and Jean Theron Willoughby have joined Agrarian Trust’s team as Interim Co-Directors.
Fran Miller loves to grow garlic. She plants it every year, pressing the cloves into the earth at the end of fall, gathering the scapes in early summer, and curing the bulbs through the early fall.
The funding allocated to Agrarian Trust and its partners will go towards providing technical assistance and securing land for farmers who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) in Texas, Nebraska, New York, and Tennessee.
Twelve organizations, including Rural Action on behalf of the Central Appalachian Network, Agrarian Trust, and New Roots Community Farm, have been selected to establish USDA Regional Food Business Centers that will provide coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building to help farmers, ranchers, and other food businesses.
Agrarian Commons farmers Cam Terry, Duron Chavis, and Tyrone Cherry III joined the National Family Farm Coalition’s (NFFC) first national fly-in in three years. A progressive policy organization committed to fighting corporate control of agriculture, NFFC gathered farmers, fisherfolk, and nonprofit leaders to lobby their congressional representatives. Our shared objective was to create a more equitable farm system for all.
Over the course of the podcast’s eight episode first season, Commons Groundswell will cover a wide range of themes, from decommodifying the land through the Agrarian Commons to rebuilding land ownership for Black farmers, and the importance of rekindling spiritual connection with the land. Listen to leading voices in the fight for equitable land access, like Dr. Shakara Tyler of Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund, and Leah Penniman of Soul Fire farm as they share their perspectives, and expand and explore what it means to live on the land.
The Bhoodan movement serves as an example of the limitations of land-gifting, as well as its immense potential. On the one hand, land donations should be considered as one part of what should be a multifaceted approach, and cannot fully replace a concerted effort to influence policy and decentralize land holdings and power dynamics. On the other hand, the role of land donors should not be underestimated. Bhave and the Bhoodan movement showed that landowners are willing to make serious sacrifices in the name of a deeply moral cause.
For the past year and a half, every Wednesday has been West Virginia Wednesday. On these days, the ingredients for students’ meals, including the frozen chickens, are sourced directly from local farms, providing a major source of income for farmers and access to healthy, locally grown food to students. This dual benefit is a key feature of Farm to School programming in Fayette County.
As 2022 draws to a close, we want to take a moment from the bustle of the season to reflect on some of these successes, and to share the work that still needs to be done.
We ask that you consider the variety of giving options Agrarian Trust provides, including our Alternate Gift Catalog, the Caring for the Commons Fund, and the ongoing fundraisers in Maine, Southwest Virginia, and Central Virginia. With your help, we can chart a new path for land ownership in the United States.
