Black Farmers Index Verified listing

**Our Mission: Build, Connect, and Grow**
The Black Farmers Index (The Index) is dedicated to addressing food insecurity, systemic failures within the food system, and inequities in agriculture. Our commitment is to support the success of Black farmers and growers by facilitating a more efficient consumer-to-Black farmer pipeline and establishing connections between agriculturalists and key agencies, institutions, and resources. These efforts are designed to enhance their businesses through innovative marketing, educational services, outreach, and intentional community engagement.

The Index is guided by four key pillars:
1. Enhance marketing efforts targeted at the Black agricultural ecosystem, including growers, ranchers, fisherfolk, beekeepers, foragers, and foresters.
2. Collect, evaluate, and disseminate accurate information on Black growers.
3. Provide pathways for harvesters to access capital.
4. Advocate for and inform Black agriculturalists on acquiring farmland.

To promote visibility for Black farmers, The Index utilizes various strategies, including a comprehensive online directory, social media promotion featuring short narratives, educational workshops for farmers, food-centered virtual and in-person events, curated lists of farmers for individuals and institutions, carefully selected gift boxes showcasing food items from growers, feature stories in media outlets, data gathering and reporting, storytelling through farm visits, connecting farmers with business opportunities and resources, fostering a collaborative ecosystem among farmers, and partnering with organizations and companies on relevant initiatives.

**Our Roots: Black Farmers Index**
The Black Farmers Index originated as a solutions-based journalism initiative launched by Ark Republic on April 14, 2020. The project aimed to provide access to a curated list of Black farmers in response to increased resource shortages during the global pandemic. We began with two critical questions: Who would be the first affected by food shortages? How can we contribute to the solution?

Recognizing that many Black individuals reside in food deserts and food swamps due to historical disenfranchisement from agrarian lifestyles, we sought insights from those closest to the food source: Black farmers.

During the pandemic, many USDA-subsidized farmers were compelled to discard significant amounts of food, leading to disruptions in supply chains. Conversely, many independent Black farmers remained viable sources of food but lacked the exposure necessary to sell or distribute their products effectively. This gap in presence exacerbated the emerging food crisis.

Historically, Black growers have faced systemic discrimination within agribusiness. Consequently, the USDA has overlooked numerous Black agriculturalists who could significantly enrich the agricultural industry. We identified Black growers successfully engaging in niche markets such as urban agriculture, organic farming, heritage crops, and other areas frequently neglected by mainstream agriculture.

In response to these challenges, we committed to establishing a user-friendly repository of Black farmers for public access, aimed at facilitating direct transactions between consumers and farmers. Our goal was to understand the resilience of Black growers in overcoming generations of inequities in agriculture while promoting an equitable agenda for collective growth.

What began as a list of 150 farmers has now expanded to approximately 1,300 diverse agricultural producers, including row crop farmers, ranchers, poultry farmers, beekeepers, and more.

The feedback and stories shared by hundreds of farmers across the United States through our directory help inform our efforts to support their growth and competitiveness in the market. It is essential to recognize that Black growers do not seek handouts; they desire equitable opportunities within the agribusiness landscape. We invite collaboration to diversify our food supply and empower Black agriculturalists.

Our growth is a direct result of the significant public response during the George Floyd protests. The celebration of Juneteenth sparked a keen interest across various communities to support Black growers and address the longstanding inequities in food and agriculture. This movement enabled the Index to evolve into its own distinct identity rapidly.https://blackfarmersindex.com/