Black Agricultural Innovators
A celebration of historically-underserved producers
February is Black History Month - a time to recognize and honor the contributions of African Americans to U.S. history, and to acknowledge significant people and events that have helped shape the country as we know it today. At RIPE, we know that Black History is American History.
Despite the fact that African-Americans were among the first cultivators of modern agriculture in America, they are often underrepresented and overlooked. As of 2022, Black farmers make up less than 2% of all U.S. farmers. Peaking between 1910-1920, Black farm ownership has steadily declined from 41.4 million acres in 1920 to 5.3 million acres across 32,700 farms in 2022. Brookings says it best: The future of Black farming rests on advocacy groups (...) to guide the reparation and restoration process to achieve racial and economic justice for Black farmers.
In honor of Black History Month, we are sharing the stories of a few historical figures who have made significant contributions to agriculture in America. We recognize there are countless people, many whose names and stories are lost to the sands of time, who are not included on this list.
Henry Blair (1807-1860) was an inventor and farmer best known as the second African American to hold a United States patent. Born in Glen Ross, Maryland in 1807, Blair patented two devices designed to help boost agricultural productivity - a corn planter and a cotton planter. Learn more about Henry Blair from Biography.
George Washington Carver (1864-1943) was an agricultural scientist and inventor who revolutionized Southern farming by promoting alternative crops to cotton (like peanuts, sweet potatoes and soybeans) and methods to prevent soil depletion. Washington Carver is credited with developing hundreds of products from these plants, and teaching poor farmers methods for self-sufficiency through crop rotation and education, improving their nutrition and income. Learn more about “The Peanut Man” from Missouri Dept. of Agriculture.
Frederick McKinley Jones (1893-1961) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, engineer, winner of the National Medal of Technology, and an inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame who innovated mobile refrigeration technology. McKinley Jones revolutionized agriculture and food transportation by inventing the first successful mobile refrigeration system for trucks, patented in 1940. This invention eliminated the need for ice and salt, allowing perishable produce and meat to be transported safely over long distances, a crucial advancement for modern food distribution. Learn more about Frederick McKinley Jones from Table to Table.
John William Mitchell (1885-1955) was a pioneering African American extension agent and educator who became one of the most well known Cooperative Extension agents in the nation. In his role with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Mitchell was well known for his financial and innovative leadership in the lives of the state’s African-American farmers. By 1950, he was renowned as one of the top agricultural experts in the nation, and in the same year was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities for his work in improving the rural life of farmers in the South from Livingstone College. Learn more about John William Mitchell from NCPedia.
In the early 1900s, Josephine and Lenora Rucker recruited other Black families to join them in southern Colorado and form the community that would be known as “The Dry,” a group of homesteaders who were determined to thrive despite the harsh realities of life on Colorado’s southeastern plains. While the community disintegrated within two decades due to environmental and economic pressures, it was an oasis for Black farmers and an opportunity for a better life. Approximately 50 families lived in “The Dry” and established an irrigation farming system to grow melons. Learn more about the Rucker Sisters from PushBlack.
These are just a few of the numerous individuals who have helped shape agriculture as we know it today. Who are we missing from this list? Let us know.
RIPE’s Coalition is paramount in ensuring that our policies and priorities are as far-reaching as possible. It is our goal to benefit all producers, across all commodities, geographic locations, and scales. To date, the coalition comprises three groups, including the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) Committee, the Steering Committee, and the Producer Leader Advisory Network (PLAN). All three groups are crucial in guiding our work, but for the sake of this article we’ll focus on the IDEA Committee and the Steering Committee. For more information about the PLAN, visit our website.
The IDEA Committee was formed through discussions with RIPE stakeholders and staff to ensure that farmers and ranchers who have historically been under-served by USDA programs (including Black producers are central in designing and implementing RIPE’s approach. It is focused on raising up historically under-served producers and their perspectives when approaching conservation agriculture and addressing equity issues in agriculture as it relates to RIPE. The committee is dedicated to developing a shared understanding, suggesting changes to RIPE’s work, and creating avenues of equity within RIPE’s approach.
Our producer-led Steering Committee advises on producer engagement, contributes to policy design and makes recommendations on other opportunities that support RIPE’s mission. It is made up of a diverse group of state, regional, and national trade associations and producer groups, one of which being the National Black Growers Council (NBGC). The National Black Growers Council is a collective of multigenerational row crop producers who advocate for the best interests of Black farmers locally, statewide and nationally. Its mission is to improve the efficiency, productivity and sustainability of Black row crop farmers. The NBGC was organized to represent the unique needs of full-time Black farmers. They have formed partnerships with each other, with majority farmers, and with corporations. We are proud to have NBGC on our Steering Committee and thankful for their continued guidance and support.
Interested in learning more about our coalition groups or how you can help RIPE champion historically under-served producers?
Email coalition@riperoadmap.org to get started.
