Farmers of color have faced of discrimination and displacement in the U.S., along with structural barriers that have made it difficult to access resources and buy or lease farmland. It鈥檚 led to fewer and fewer people of color in the industry.
In 黑料吃瓜网, individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color, or BIPOC, account for less than 2% of local farmers.
A new state program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working to increase that number 鈥� by training farmers, and supporting their land access.
Last year, the USDA鈥檚 awarded $300 million to 50 projects across the country, and the 黑料吃瓜网 Department of Agriculture . Now, a $2.5 million-dollar program .
There鈥檚 three major components: a farm business navigator at UConn Extension to offer free technical assistance to farmers, grant funding to aid in the purchase of agricultural land, and help with farm business planning from local organizations.
鈥淭he goal is that we bring people along the business development cycle,鈥� said Bryan Hurlburt, commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture. 鈥淪o that by the time they get to purchasing a parcel, a farm, their farm, that they've got the technical skills; they've got the business mindset to be successful.鈥�
The state Department of Agriculture will share information and take questions about the program in on Tuesday, Dec. 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The department鈥檚 commissioned a report with the 黑料吃瓜网 Land Conservation Council (CLCC), released , with recommendations to guide the state agency and industry. A major theme was creating better pathways for farmers to own and access land.
鈥淪ecure land access is not only integral to the livelihoods of BIPOC farmers, but imperative in bolstering the resilience of 黑料吃瓜网's agricultural industry,鈥� CLCC Senior Project Specialist Yaw O. Darko, who authored the report.
鈥淢any of the farmers interviewed expressed the need for land sovereignty, which is the right to exercise autonomy, agency, and self-determination over land and its resources including what is grown on the land, how it is grown, and what is consumed,鈥� the report said.
Program applications will open by next spring, Hurlburt said.
