Farm and Conservation Land for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Self Determination and Sovereignty in Rural Massachusetts

March to April of 2022.  Timeline is moving on pace and the goals and objectives are being met as outlined.  In April of 2022, I conducted the first gathering of staff representatives from the East Quabbin Land Trust and Mt. Grace Land Trust.  A total of 5 staff attended this gathering.  During this first gathering, we focused on building relationships, naming what first brought us to commit to the goals BIPOC Farm land for Self Determination and Sovereignty in rural MA grant proposal. Farmer Grant April Gathering Agenda (1). We established and adopted the goals and community agreements and racial equity goals created by The Move To End Violence and Race Equity and Liberation pedagogy.   During this meeting we discussed the importance of land and what connects us to the land.  After agreeing to deepen our shared analysis of race, power, privilege and oppression we also took the time to look at the intersections of race and land to begin to unpack how we, in MA, arrived at a place where 97% of farmland is white owned.   After this gathering the 5 staff were tasked with sharing the goals and agreements with the rest of their co-workers and board members.  They were also charged with inviting more members and ensuring that board members attended the next gathering set for November of 2022.

May- Nov of 2022.  Timeline is moving on pace and the goals and objectives are being met as outlined. In May of 2022 began prospective land walks with East Quabbin Land Trust.  We viewed 3 prospective properties some with housing, some without, each with agricultural soils and infrastructure in various states of condition either on the land or nearby.  Met with East Quabbin Land Trust Executive Director and staff over lunch to build relationship and discuss their policies and practices in their attempts to partner with BIPOC farmers and introduce the objectives for the grant to more staff/EQLT community members.  Began meeting with Mt. Grace and the Nipmuc Land Project at The Farm School to better understand the role of conservation, Conservation Restrictions (CR's) and Agricultural Preservation Restrictions (APR's) in a rematriation process.  Conservation Restrictions according to Mass.gov are "legally enforceable agreements whose purpose is to ensure permanent protection of specific conservation values while permitting limited land uses consistent with the protection of said conservation values".  An issue arrises when the values that determine conservation restrictions are bias towards the colonial aesthetic defining rural beauty, housing, acceptable farming and sustainability practices.  The Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program as defined by Mass.gov is "a voluntary program which is intended to offer a non-development alternative to farmers and other owners of "prime" and "state important" agricultural land who are faced with a decision regarding future use of their farms." The APR program locked in  restrictions enacted in the late 70's. These restrictions were to be held in prepartuity and would take an act of to change. The problem is the legalized marginalization of BIPOC communities during this period is limiting BIPOC farmers ability to become the next generation of farmer due to the restrictions placed on housing and colonial definitions of farming practices.  The intention of holding our meeting time was to name the polices, resources and practices Mt. Grace could activate to support greater self determination for the Nipmuc. Both EQLT and Mt. Grace staff invited additional staff and board members to the next gathering that took place in October.  During the October Gathering we had a total of 12 staff and board from Mt. Grace and EQLT in attendance.  Farmer Grant October Gathering Agenda (2)   After some introductions we dove deeply into understanding the origins of Community Land Trust and Conservation.  We dove deeply into defining our community agreements and goals towards racial equity.  We deepened our shared language, understanding the definition of race, levels of racism (micro/macro, internalized, individual, system and institutional) understanding internalized superiority and inferiority and learned to identify and name traits of white supremacy culture. We discussed the structural land and race based policies (boost and blocks*) that occurred from the 1400's to present day.  EQLT and Mt. Grace, within their own organizations, began to list every policy and practice in their operational and organizational culture they could think of in the moment. They also thought of each relationship and resource they held has an organization and wrote those down.  We ended the day reflecting on this power to set, define, enact and shift policies and practices. The power these resources bring by just having a seat at the table, being part of the work of land conservation.  As homework, they are to continue noting relationships they hold, the policies and practices within their organizations, analyzing the boost and blocks that dictate the level of access to resources, and to name how the intersections of race and... affect these practices, policies and ability to access resources.  We will begin a 6 week virtual series with staff and board following the resources provided by the *Move to End Violence and the Race Equity and Liberation framework.  The Farm School staff has participated in this virtual series several times and will help host small cohorts of Mt. Grace and EQLT staff  and board throughout the series. 

November 2022- March 2023. Timeline continues to move as anticipated.  

Nov.- In November we began the process of scheduling for the 6 week virtual Racial Equity and Liberation Training through The Move to End Violence.  Carmen, Patrick and Ayla of The Farm School worked together to help facilitate the staff and board members of Mt. Grace LT and EQLT throughout the 6 weeks.

Jan- March Due to winter scheduling conflicts we landed on bi-weekly meetings beginning Jan 19th 2023 to March 17th 2023. We had a total of 17 staff and board members across both organizations attend the virtual sessions.  Because of the number of attendees, we created 2 groups so that the space could be more intentionally held to allow room for conversation and relationship building. Each virtual session was 1.5 hours and included pre-work (journaling, videos, art, reflection) which was emailed a week prior to the meeting.  Virtual meeting topics followed the online weekly series developed by The Move To End Violence "6 Week Community Conversations " by Monica Dennis, Rachael Ibrahim, Trina Greene, Heidi Lopez and many others. Topics included: review of goals and community agreements, choosing vulnerability, going beyond single stories, locating oneself, identifying systems of power, the levels of racism and community conversations.  

Late March - At the conclusion of the Virtual Course both organizations and those that participated in the virtual course came together for an all day in person retreat on March 20th from 9am to 3pm.  During the in person retreat we reflected as an entire group on all the topics both groups covered during their virtual course.  For the second half of the meeting each organization met with their staff and board members and began making an outline of all of the agencies and their community resources with whom they are well connected/in relationship with.  This list involved other organizations and agencies like APR, national conservation and land trust agencies down to area contractors and trades people.  Each organization listed spoken and unspoken cultural norms and polices their agencies have upheld over the years and changes/additions to these policies/practices that could begin to be implemented right away and over the course of the year.  Each organization shared their assessments with the larger group and were tasked to bring in further board and staff engagement towards adopting policies that would build greater relationships with BIPOC communities and create pathways to greater BIPOC land access.   Post project meetings were held with Mt. Grace and EQLT staff with several positive outcomes reported including:

Mt. Grace: Increased opportunities for staff relationship building through team lunches 2. meeting with Nipmuc Land Project to partner on land based grants, meeting with Nipmuc Land Project and The Farm School on development of policy change proposals related to Conservation and APR policies on land use/access and farmer housing, partnering to strategize request during APR call for testimony and recommendations, strategize community relationships to fund opportunities for intentional farm succession plans with a intentional focus on opportunities to create access for BIPOC farmer land connection.  Goals continue to include broadening racial diversity among staff and board, broadening access to the use of land they currently hold in conservation, broadening current stakeholder community support and understanding on the need for intentional policies to help mitigate land access/ownership racial disparities within their region.  Mt. Grace will participate in the NESARE Service Provider Land Succession Training for greater BIPOC land access beginning in 2023-2025.

East Quabbin Land Trust: Actively looking to form connections of BIPOC farmers seeking land for farming (across 4 of their current properties).  Successful partnership creating BIPOC land access to grow crops and run their farm operations on EQLT farmland. Used community connections to facilitate access to water, tractor and other equipment to better support the farmers ability grow their crops, offering long term lease options for greater security for the farmer, actively looking for ways to reflect the diversity of those that utilize their trail systems and recreational materials through outreach and advertisements, willingness to organize door knocking and introduce EQLT to BIPOC residents within the scope of their region. Goals continue to include broadening racial diversity among staff and board, broadening access to the use of land they currently hold in conservation, broadening current stakeholder community support and understanding on the need for intentional policies to help mitigate land access/ownership racial disparities within their region.

Materials belonging to The Move To End Violence:

PreWork REAL (2) (1)

Racial Equity and Liberation Virtual Learning Series Week 1 (1) (1)

Racial Equity and Liberation Virtual Learning Series Week 2

Racial Equity and Liberation Virtual Learning Week 4 (5)

Racial Equity and Liberation Virtual Learning Series Week 6

Racial Equity and Liberation Week 5 Virtual

Created for Farmer Grant gatherings:

Farmer Grant March 2023 LT BOD and Staff Retreat

Farmer Grant March Gathering Facilitator Draft

Material belonging to United for a Fair Economy:

Boosts_and_Blocks_Timeline_-_Handout_Size_(8.5x11)_(1)