Category: Farmers

We’re Recruiting! Food For the Spirit Invites Black Farmers in the Genesee Valley Region to Participate in a Collective Marketing Campaign

by Food for the Spirit, posted in Farmers, Food Justice

In the fall of 2021, Food for the Spirit recruited five Black farmers in the Genesee Valley Region to develop a collective marketing campaign for their farms and farm products.

We wanted to let the world know about the beautiful work Black farmers are doing in this region and connect the farmers with values-aligned markets and consumers for greater prosperity.

Why collective marketing?

Throughout history, people have found power in coming together in collective action. This means sharing resources and knowledge, amplifying each other’s work, and finding what we have in common in a world that makes us feel apart.

Why the Genesee Valley Region?

First, big thanks to the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets who are supporting this project. Second, we want to make sure the work Black farmers are doing in this part of New York State is seen, recognized, and connected to resources.

Is this for me?

Farmers were eligible who identify as Black (from African American ancestry) and either farm or sell their products within any of these nine counties of the Genesee Valley Region: Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates.

How can I get involved?

Contact Rebekah Williams at Rebekah (@) foodforthespirit.org for more information and to get involved.

More details about this project and the farmers who participated can be found in this blog post. Click through to get the details.

Food for the Spirit Hiring Support for Black Farmers in NYS

by Food for the Spirit, posted in Farmers, Hiring

Food for the Spirit is supporting the formation of a NYS Black Farmer Marketing Co-op. In conjunction with that project, we are excited to announce that we are seeking a Communications and Marketing Consultant to work with us this growing season to build community and collective marketing strategies with Black farmers in the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region located in west-central New York State. The person hired for this position will take the lead on creating a visual campaign that provides fresh insight into the experience of Black farmers in the region and connects those farmers to values aligned consumers and markets.

See the Request for Proposal (RFP) online here and share it across your networks. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 21st.

View the RFP for more details on the position and how to apply.

Barriers for Black Farmers’ Success

by Food for the Spirit, posted in Cooperative Development, Emilie Miyauchi, Farmers

Photo Credit: Moss Family Fruits & Veggies, Albion NY

Author: Emilie Miyauchi

Co-ops have a long history of facilitating power for rural farmers in the Southern US and globally, but never took deep root in New York State (NYS). It’s past time, and in this era of isolation and crisis of democracy Food for the Spirit is supporting the formation and development of a Black farmer co-op for New York State.

A steering committee composed of NYS Black farmers and stakeholders working to secure food and land sovereignty for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) farmers, met to discuss how a co-op might meaningfully address organizing and infrastructure gaps that have been barriers to Black farmers success.

With only 139 Black farmers of the 57,000 NYS farmers accounted for by the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture, the steering committee found consensus around the idea of expanding those farmers’ visibility by way of umbrella marketing under a unique brand. 

The next stages of this cooperative project will see through the work of knitting together values, purpose and identity by marketing together. It’s early, but the vision for what can come of this has been brightening the winter.

For more information or to inquire about getting involved, email Rebekah@foodforthespirit.org.

NYS Black Farmers 2019 Survey

by Food for the Spirit, posted in Farmers, Food Justice, Racial Healing

In 2019, Food for the Spirit circulated a survey amongst Black farmers throughout New York State and one farmer commented “We are a dying breed”. Black farmers suffer from most issues associated with small farms in a system that favors large-scale agriculture, however; their experiences are compounded by a history of discrimination through both private and public sectors controlling markets and finance.

The 2019 survey was circulated online and in-person at farmers markets throughout New York State to Black Farmers. Eight surveys were completed:

  • Seven respondents identified as Black farmers and one identified as a “Black farmer aggregator”
  • They reported selling mostly vegetables, fruit, value-added products, eggs, poultry and herbs.
  • They rely mostly on farmers markets to sell their products.
  • Though two sell at farm stands and restaurants, and one sells through a CSA, none have institutional contracts.
  • Some of the barriers they face in attempting to access new markets are: market managers ignore barriers to healthy food options for marginalized consumers; racism and classism; CSA’s as too labor intensive; lack of workforce and funding
  • One farmer wants to shift to institutional sales and fewer products.
  • Four farmers reported annual profits less than $30,000; one reported $40,000 to $50,000; one reported fluctuating profits between $10,000 and $30,000; one chose not to respond; and one reported barely breaking even.
  • Two family farms are run by 9-10 adult siblings who learned to farm from their fathers.
  • While two of the farms are over 40 years old and one is just starting operations, the remaining have operated for an average of 8.4 years, ranging between 3 and 15 years of operation.
  • The geographic locations of the respondents farms were widespread: one downstate (Orange County); three in Central New York (two rural Tompkins County, and one rural Wayne County); one Upstate New York (rural Rensselaer County); and two in Western New York (one rural Orleans County and one urban Erie County).

Of the eight Black farmers that have responded, five farmers agree to participate in a cooperatively developed project to increase their profitability.