On this week’s edition of Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, kicks of Black History Month with a conversation with Ashley Smith of Black Soil: Our Better Nature. Black Soil's mission is to connect black families in our urban and rural communities with black farmers and producers across the state. Their vision is to help foster a greater marketshare for black farmers and producers as they provide healthy food options to a larger consumer base.
Ashley and her husband, Trevor Claiborne (aka Farmer Brown tha MC), were spurred on by 2012 USDA Farm Census data which states:
*Out of 113,037 farms operators, 616 were black. This small but mighty force represents .5% of the sector in the state of Kentucky.
*Currently, 505 out of 77,064 of the farms in Kentucky are operated by black land owners.
*Average farm size for black farmers was 80 acres totaling 40,446 across the Commonwealth.
*Black farms averaged 31% less in their average market value of products sold. Statistics reflect $20,181 average per farm for black farmers compared to $65,755 for non-black farmers.
Knowing this, Black Soil was developed to confront the troubling reality surrounding power dynamics of land ownership, food security, and institutionalized racism.
Upcoming events and initiatives include:
- presentations/conferences, fellowships, Historic interpretation of agriculture, marketing/branding of Black Kentucky/agriculture/foodways, etc.
- Youth and Family programming with Farmer Brown tha MC, Ag in the City
- The 2020 Black and Green Dinner Series in partnership with Cassia Herron* (still being finalized)
- Farm to Table Dinners
More information is at http://blacksoil.life
As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!
Sustainability Now! airs on FORward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org
The music in this podcast is used by permission from the fantastic Louisville band, Appalatin. Explore their inspiring music at http://www.appalatin.com