Training Northeast Farmers to Confront and Dismantle Racism and Inequity in Food and Farming Systems

View the project final report

Commodities

Practices

• Sustainable Communities: ethnic differences/cultural and demographic change, leadership development, food sovereignty

Young farmers in the Northeast face many challenges when entering careers in agriculture. However, all young farmers do not experience these challenges equally; centuries of marginalization and systemic racism prevent many young farmers of color from building successful farm businesses. Young farmers in the Northeast are uniquely positioned to create a different kind of rural farming community- one in which all young farmers have an equal chance to feel accepted and to succeed, regardless of race. By confronting racism and supporting young farmers of color, we are building a more diverse and resilient farm communities. However, young farmers often do not have access to funding for the comprehensive trainings and resources needed to confront and dismantle racism and inequity. The National Young Farmers Coalition (the Coalition) seeks to provide our Northeast

chapters with three full-day comprehensive anti-racism trainings in collaboration with Soul Fire Farm and Soil Generation, at no cost to chapter members. Outreach for the trainings will be a collaboration between the Coalition, regional chapters and the trainers. In conjunction with the trainings, the Coalition will complete the Racial Equity Toolkit, a resource for Coalition chapters to start regular discussions on racial equity and develop action plans for their chapters. The completed Racial Equity Toolkit will be published on youngfarmers.org as a downloadable PDF, and shared with all Coalition chapters and partner organizations. Through these project initiatives, the Coalition aims to meet the requests of our chapters to expand our farmer trainings and resources into racial equity work.

This project seeks to demonstrate the power of young farmers to confront and dismantle racism and inequity in food and farming systems when offered comprehensive anti-racism trainings and resources.

This project has three main objectives:

1. 1. To provide young farmers in the Northeast the opportunity to attend one full-day anti-racism training at no cost;
   2. To complete the Coalition’s Racial Equity Toolkit, a resource for young farmers nationwide who wish to begin the work of addressing racism and inequity in the food system;
   3. To connect Coalition chapters with Black and Brown-led organizations that are doing this important work in their regions; and to ensure that resources funding this work are going directly to these organizations.

The full-day anti-racism trainings will provide young farmers in the Northeast with a shared understanding of racism in food and farming, and opportunities for their chapter to support farmers of color in their regions. The Racial Equity Toolkit will be a resource for Coalition chapters to begin regular discussions on racial equity and develop action plans for their chapters. Young farmers not part of a Coalition chapter can also use the Toolkit in their farming communities.To complete the Coalition’s Racial Equity Toolkit, a resource for young farmers nationwide who wish to begin the work of addressing racism and inequity in the food system;To connect Coalition chapters with Black and Brown-led organizations that are doing this important work in their regions; and to ensure that resources funding this work are going directly to these organizations.