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Wiedrick Road By Erika Aftuck

Special Feature: Black History in Agriculture 

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“No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.” — Booker T. Washington

By Aleksandr Khodorkovskiy, Living Acres Farm, Alfred Station NY

Many of the enslaved Africans brought to the U.S. came from regions where farming was foundational to their existence. They brought with them vital agricultural knowledge, including irrigation techniques, crop rotation, and composting to maintain soil fertility. Some Africans were able to bring seeds from their homelands, which eventually became staple crops in America. These include sweet potatoes, watermelon, okra, and black-eyed peas. The rice industry in the antebellum South thrived because of the expertise of the enslaved Africans from the “Rice Coast” of West Africa (1).

After the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, many emancipated Black Americans sought to own land, farm, and achieve economic self-sufficiency. In January of 1865, General Sherman issued Special Field Order No. 15, which set aside 400,000 acres of confiscated plantation land for redistribution to 40,000 former slaves. This is where the phrase “40 acres and a mule” originates from. Unfortunately, shortly after President Lincoln’s assassination, President Andrew Johnson reversed the order, and 40,000 families went from being landowners to being tenant farmers or sharecroppers, at best, and landless at worst (2).

Despite facing legal freedom but with no land or money, and in the face of racial discrimination, by the 1920s Black farmers owned nearly 1 million farms, which amounted to over 15 million acres of land — 14% of all farms in the U.S. (3). This was a monumental achievement considering that the “40 acres” promise never materialized. This success is a testament to the resilience and resourcefulness of Black Americans, supported by leaders like Booker T. Washington, who founded the Tuskegee Institute in 1881. Washington dedicated his life to promoting self-reliance, economic independence, and the dignity of labor. The Tuskegee Institute played a key role in teaching sustainable agricultural practices, trades, and business skills to Black Americans. At Tuskegee, students learned by doing — building their dormitories, farming their own food, and running small businesses (4).

Successful Black-owned farms helped lay the foundation for many other Black-owned businesses, contributing to economic independence for numerous Black communities. Black-owned feed and seed stores, blacksmiths, mechanics, lumber mills, grain mills, trucking companies, textile mills, and meat and dairy processing plants flourished, creating a thriving business ecosystem. Furthermore, Black farmers and business owners worked together to create cooperatives for buying and selling. They deposited their wealth and secured financing from Black-owned banks, which numbered over 120 at one point. Today the number of Black-owned banks has dwindled to just 17 (5).

In the 1920s, small family farms, Black and White, were the backbone of rural America. These farms not only fed the nation but also provided livelihoods for millions. These farms were diversified, and more self-sufficient then farms of today. They typically produced a variety of crops and livestock. Farmers could provide for themselves, rather than relying heavily on the industrial economy. To succeed on a traditional farm, one needed a wide range of skills, such as soil stewardship, animal husbandry, crop cultivation, mechanical skills, business acumen, physical strength, endurance, and patience. Farmers also had deep ties to their local communities, helping each other by sharing resources, knowledge, and labor.

Today, less than 2% of Americans live on farms, and farmland ownership has reached its lowest point in history. Ownership of farmland by Black Americans has dropped to just 1.4% (6). Today, only about 35,450 Black-owned farms remain in the U.S. — a staggering 96% decrease in Black farm ownership since the 1920s. It is a conundrum that this occurred during the same period that saw great gains in civil and political rights between the 1950s and 1970s.

The decline in Black-owned farms is partly due to discrimination. For decades, Black farmers were denied loans, grants, and other financial assistance by the USDA (7). However, the main reason for the loss of Black-owned farms mirrors the decline of white-owned family farms: the shift from small, diversified, family-run farms to large-scale, industrial farming operations. This transformation was driven by technological advancements, consolidation, and government policies that prioritized efficiency and profit over sustainability and community. As a result, people on farms have largely been replaced by machines and chemicals. This dispossessed mass of millions found their way to cities. Some found work in factories and other industries, some settled in urban slums and eked out a living in deplorable conditions. The move from the country to the city deprived people of their competence in doing for themselves.

The consolidation of seed, equipment, and food processing industries has left farmers with little control over the inputs and markets they rely upon. Government policies, including subsidies and research, have historically favored industrial agriculture, monocropping, and large-scale operations, all to the detriment of small, diversified farms. This shift to industrial agriculture has not only degraded the land but also eroded the quality of life for farmers and their communities. Systemic industrialization disconnected most people from the land and the skills necessary for self-sufficiency, leading to a loss of meaningful work, cultural identity, and social bonds. Traditional farming communities, with their unique knowledge, values, and customs, have been replaced by a standardized, consumer-driven culture.

The loss of small family farms, dispossession, and displacement has been a tragedy for both Black and White Americans. However, for Black Americans, it involves a particular loss of justice. Since Black Americans have been connected to agriculture throughout their history in America—first as slaves, and later as sharecroppers, tenants, and farm owners—the appropriate justice would have helped and encouraged them to become owners of farms, to the extent that their individual abilities and ambitions allowed.

Agriculture is the foundation of civilization, yet modern society rarely considers who grows our food, where it comes from, or how it is produced. However, our food choices shape the agricultural systems we rely on. It is essential to shift toward a more regional, sustainable form of agriculture that fosters stronger community ties, respects the land, and restores a sense of purpose and dignity in work. Despite the challenges, we have an opportunity to rethink our approach to agriculture and, more broadly, our relationship with the land and each other.

References:
(1) https://www.agdaily.com/insights/black-history-is-american-history-and-the-history-of-u-s-agriculture/
(2) https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/40-acres-and-a-mule
(3) https://nass.usda.gov
(4) https://www.tuskegee.edu/about-us/history-and-mission
(5) https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/01/03/greenwood-black-bank-george-floyd/
(6) https://nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/index.php
(7) https://blog.ucsusa.org/precious-tshabalala/a-brief-history-of-discrimination-against-black-farmers-including-by-the-usda/

Khodorkovskiy is an Allegany County farmer, educator, soil builder, and entrepreneur. You can reach him anytime via email, aleksandrkhodorkovskiy@gmail.com, or visit his farm page: Livingacresfarm.com

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