Sowing change: The legacy and future of Black farmers in the U.S.
In honor of Black History Month, The Packer’s urban farming series examines the enduring heritage of Black farmers, the systemic challenges they face and those empowering future generations through urban agriculture and education.
By Jill Dutton
The Packer
February 20, 2025
Excerpt:
Urban Growers Collective operates eight urban farms on 11 acres, providing fresh produce through farmers markets, community supported agriculture subscriptions and a mobile market. The collective also supports food security initiatives and education.
Erika Allen grew up in agriculture. Her father, Will Allen, is a retired professional basketball player also known for his innovations in urban farming. Erika Allen says she grew up on a small farm in Wisconsin where the family grew cabbage, greens, tomatoes, green beans and corn, and the experience shaped her childhood.
“I learned early about hard work and how to grow different kinds of vegetables,” she said. “I went to the farmer’s markets, so I did a lot of direct marketing and helped with wholesale orders. It was kind of an old-school farm family upbringing.”
Allen attended art school in Chicago and, through her work as an artist, dealt with social issues and cultural reclamation; she eventually decided to return to school to get a master’s degree in art psychotherapy.
“I wanted to do intervention work with at-risk teens who are at high risk for incarceration using therapeutic intervention, because art is such a therapeutic modality,” she said.
Source: https://cityfarmer.info/sowing-change-the-legacy-and-future-of-black-farmers-in-the-u-s/
