South Side Family Farms Black Farmer/Heritage Project

This process focused on the integration of youth into sustainable farming. African American youth who had been alienated from the historic relationship of their ancestors to the land were the primary recruits. Farming practices that they were exposed to and gained some practical experience with included use of a BCS tiller to establish raised beds, use of a rotary plow to cut-out the beds and make paths, providing soil amendments, and installing silage covers for weed suppression. In addition the youth laid the lines for the irrigation system and placed automatic timers. General information on maturity dates and crop yield preceded actual planting. Knowledge of crop growth continued with the seeding of the raised beds (urban farm locations), in ground and weeding. Vertical farming practices were utilized for tomatoes, cucumbers, and sugar snap peas. Harvesting and post harvest practices included recording harvest weights, cleaning of crops, packing for sale and staffing for farmers markets where customer service was key in understanding what sells and why.

Crop rotation and composting were two key sustainable agriculture practices that the youth learned over the summer. We are composting on site and also went on a field trip to Kimball farms to hear an explanation and see a demonstration on composting. While the youth were very interested there was no survey utilized that captured this interest concretely. They were definitely more interested and in the discussions afterwards revealed that they knew more about composting and regenerative soil practices than we anticipated. Integrated pest management was another key area of learning for the youth. Ladybugs and preying mantises were used which generated intense discussion about the specific introduction of beneficial insects as a measure of control. Materials such as neem oil, PyGanic, Dr. Deadbug, diatomaceous earth, and home-made solutions (vinegar, soap and water) were also utilized for insect and disease control.

Changes in the project were often necessitated by the lack of timely transportation. There were times when the youth were not in place to perform as expected. This sometimes meant that we were under staffed for certain tasks, including completion of planned pest management and harvesting which meant a reduction in sales.

Weather related challenges also impacted use of available resources. Abnormal heavy rain events prevented our youthful team from prepping and planting additional acreage. Organic material required for production was unable to be distributed as required and had to be left at the staging area. This also necessitated additional time and equipment to move the material into the fields. Our soil was so water logged that we were unable to obtain reliable readings from required soil tests which inhibited further planting preparation. These tests eventually returned negative reports with respect to corn production as per our contracted consultant (insufficient time for growth).

We decided in light of the above to plant this acreage in cover crops (annual rye and crown vetch) which will enable us to have healthy land for the 2023 season. 

National increases for transportation costs meant that we were unable to make as many trips as initially projected to the rural site.

Fortunately, while this was the most extensive exposure for many of the youth to agriculture, most appreciated the opportunity to work on the farms, felt that they have benefited from the acquisition of knowledge and skills that could be applied to all areas of employment and knowledge of communities beyond their own. Working at the farmers markets, seeing  immediate appreciation for the results of their hard work and understanding the applicability of some of their school lessons (like math!) provided a sense of satisfaction that we hope will be sufficient to encourage them to continue in this area.