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there are learning curves and yet I keep encountering and noticing shared struggles in the farming community . As I enjoy the benefits of farming — pride in harvesting a tomato nurtured from seed , eating a cucumber straight off the vine , growing heirloom crops my ancestors cultivated for decades , and feeding the community — there are barriers too stark not to address .
I was fortunate to be in Future Harvest ’ s Beginning Farmer Training Program ( BFTP ), Levels 1 and 2 .
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photo : Nick Walker
Plate de Haiti tomatoes picked fresh from the vine .
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time driving to the farm than in the field , and this time allows for deep reflection on how things could be different . I frequently find myself asking , how can we tackle these challenges creatively and collectively in a way that supports the operations of BI- POC women farmers so that they not only survive , but actually thrive in Montgomery County ? How can we become a welcoming and inclusive community for all farmers of various identities ? We have an abundance |
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The combination of field days , classroom knowledge , and connection to a network of beginning farmers in the region was invaluable . As a beginning farmer , Montgomery Countryside Alliance ’ s Land Link program was my only path toward accessing land . I was fortunate to connect with a landowner who shared my values and goals of growing culturally important food for the community . My farm journey began there in Barnesville , where I managed a 1 / 8-acre market garden , providing the majority of what I grew to Montgomery County ’ s Farm-to- Food Bank program . Taking after my grandmother , a firm believer in sharing the first fruits from her farm , she would always distribute maize , millet , vegetables , or the amanoga ( first milk ) with the wider community .
In 2021 , that first growing year , I was able to provide 900 pounds of
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produce and to double the amount harvested during the 2022 growing season . The Land Link program enabled me to take the skills I learned from BFTP and apply them in practical ways , testing farm classroom learning out into the field .
Through a mix of hard work , building relationships , and luck , I have found a path to leasing farmland in the county where I grew up . But this is not the same experience for everyone , and I dream of an equitable farming community and believe it can happen here . The intersecting challenges shared by many young , beginning , women of color farmers across the nation are here , too . Inaccessible and unaffordable land for purchase , lack of capital investments and intergenerational wealth , and unaffordable housing options make entry into , and sustaining farming , an uphill battle . * Many days I find myself spending more
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of resources in Montgomery
County : an Agricultural Reserve of 93,000 acres that is a model for the nation and beyond , a densely populated region with various cultures and languages , and people who care about naturally-grown local food .
With strong demand for local food , how can we begin to imagine a more equitable land access and ownership model ? Let ’ s first acknowledge that the land we cherish is steeped in our nation ’ s painful past of land theft from Indigenous people and forced labor of Africans who were enslaved . I ’ m reminded of this daily , as the land I currently lease is located on a street named after one of the largest plantations in Montgomery County ’ s history : Mullinix . Movements that begin to address this historical harm and its ripple effects are gaining popularity and are replicable . Campaigns for the equitable distribution of
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