WASHINGTON — The latest episode of SARE’s Our Farms, Our Future podcast features Savi Horne, the executive director of the Land Loss Prevention Project in North Carolina in conversation with third-generation Michigan blueberry farmer Barbara Norman on breaking down barriers of entry for farmers of color as they fight for access to agricultural programs historically denied to them.
Listen to or download the episode now.
Norman and Horne have dedicated their careers to helping limited resource and African American farmers begin and sustain farming operations. They first met in the late 90s when black farmers around the country organized a lawsuit against the USDA to address historic discrimination. “Being engaged in sustainable agriculture has helped to not just look at barriers to growing but also the social justice aspect to food,” says Horne. “SARE has carried a big punch in the movement for a food system that is sustainable and helps farmers.”
Norman’s and Horne’s work addresses the hurdles African American farmers face securing land and growing food, as well as other barriers that exist in our food systems. The pair discusses the development of programs that engage farmers early on in sustainable practices. Horne shares her experiences providing young African Americans with opportunities in sustainable agriculture and notes the impact those opportunities will have on future generations.
You can follow this series at www.sare.org/OFOFpodcast or by subscribing on iTunes or Stitcher.
–SARE