- Slug: CN2Go.
- Runtime: 13:08.
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THIS IS YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2GO BRIEFING. I’M DAMON FAIRALL.
A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR PROGRAM TO HELP BLACK AND OTHER MINORITY FARMERS LAST YEAR FELL THROUGH AND WAS REWRITTEN AS PART OF THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT. THE NEW LANGUAGE IN THE LAW DOES NOT CARVE OUT DEBT RELIEF SPECIFIC TO FARMERS OF COLOR.
INSTEAD IT PROVIDES FUNDS FOR ANY FARMERS WHO HAVE BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. CRONKITE NEWS’ ATHENA ANKRAH (AHN-cruh) HAS MORE ON HOW BLACK FARMERS IN ARIZONA ARE HANDLING THE CHANGES.
IT’S FEEDING TIME ON THE RANCH FOR RACHAEL AND JAMES STEWART AND THEIR FOUR KIDS. I’M STANDING OUTSIDE THE SHEEP PEN ON THEIR NEW LAND NEAR ARIZONA’S BORDER WITH MEXICO. RACHAEL AND ONE OF HER KIDS POUR BARLEY INTO A TROUGH.
STU: [00:17:15] It’s probably about 35 sheep, 15 or so goats. 14 pigs, three alpacas and 30 ducks right now. And about seven chickens.
RACHAEL: [00:08:24] The property goes all the way to that school over there and then up the road. So you can see where the power lines go… So all the way over there to that machine back there… it’s past that.
RACHAEL AND JAMES, WHO ALSO GOES BY “STU”, JUST MOVED THEIR FAMILY TO A NEW TEN-ACRE FARM HERE IN DOUGLAS. THIS IS THEIR BIGGEST HOME SINCE THE PANDEMIC INSPIRED THEM TO START GROWING COMMERCIALLY. IT’S NOW ONE OF THE ONLY BLACK-OWNED PROTEIN RANCHES IN ARIZONA.
THE SMALL BUILDINGS ON THE PROPERTY HERE WERE BUILT BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER’S FATHER IN THE 1940s. WHEN THEY MOVED IN A FEW WEEKS AGO, THERE WAS NO ELECTRICITY OR RUNNING WATER. WE’RE WALKING TOWARD THE PIG PEN AS THEY TELL ME ABOUT THEIR APPROACH TO RAISING ANIMALS.
STU: [00:27:35] you want to treat the animals good, be humane. At the end of the day, they all have a purpose. Either you’re here to breed, or you’re here for meat.
RACHAEL: [00:27:43] And before they’re in this pen, they’re just free ranging. They just go around and they eat and they just live… I try to do biomimicry. So it’s more like their habitat or where they’re happy because animals breed when they’re happy, everything works better when they’re happy.
LAST YEAR, CRONKITE NEWS MET WITH THE STEWARTS FOR THE FIRST TIME. AT THAT TIME, THEY WERE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021. AMONG OTHER THINGS, IT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED UP TO 120 PERCENT DEBT RELIEF FOR FARMERS OF COLOR IN AN EFFORT TO REVERSE DECADES OF DISCRIMINATORY LENDING PRACTICES BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. MANY FARMERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY DEPEND ON GRANTS FROM THE STATE TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS.
BUT THAT PROMISED MONEY NEVER MATERIALIZED BECAUSE OF A LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF SEVERAL WHITE FARMERS CLAIMING DISCRIMINATION. INSTEAD, THE PROGRAM WAS REPLACED WITH BROADER LANGUAGE IN THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT THAT PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR. THAT NEW LAW PROVIDES RELIEF FUNDS FOR ANY DISTRESSED FARMERS WHO HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO DISCRIMINATION. THE USDA STILL HAS THE POWER TO DECIDE WHO IS ELIGIBLE.
WE’RE SITTING ON WOODEN LOUNGE CHAIRS ON THE FRONT PORCH, LOOKING OUT AT THE ALPACAS GRAZING BEFORE THE MAIN ROAD. A TALL SPRINKLER IS SPRAYING THE YARD BEHIND THE HOUSE. RACHAEL SAYS THE COUNTLESS CONVERSATIONS AND ROUNDTABLES SHE’S BEEN A PART OF CAN FEEL FRUITLESS.
Rachael: [00:37:24] Any time somebody gets money for equity, it’s not to make justice or equity it’s to talk about justice or equity.
Rachael: [01:42:23] I don’t hold my breath on any of them. You know. I really don’t.
STU: [00:43:29] I won’t say I feel hopeless, but it’s disappointing because everything you hear is not what it seems or what they say it’s supposed to be… I see the problems and I’m done with talking about problems.
THEY SAY IT FEELS LIKE THEY’VE BEEN LOCKED OUT OF THE GRANT SYSTEM. TO APPLY, YOU HAVE TO PLAN OUT HOW FUNDS WILL BE USED– TO THE PENNY. STU ALLEGES THAT EVEN IF YOU GET DENIED, WHOEVER IS GRANTED THE LOAN CAN USE YOUR IDEAS, BECAUSE THE USDA COULD POTENTIALLY SHARE INFORMATION FROM THOUSANDS OF APPLICANTS WITH JUST A FEW GRANT RECIPIENTS. THIS WOULD CREATE A CONCENTRATION OF POWER IN THE HANDS OF WHOEVER IS DENYING OR ACCEPTING PROPOSALS.
STU: [00:32:42] if a grant comes up, people put together a whole elaborate plan and then they’ll give the funding to somebody else who can go do that plan.
STU: [00:32:34] I mean, not only is it like you’re playing the lotto, but you give all your ideas up for no compensation.
CRONKITE NEWS COULD NOT CONFIRM IF THIS IS PRACTICED.
IT’S HARD TO KNOW FOR SURE HOW OFTEN APPLICATIONS FROM FARMERS AND RANCHERS OF COLOR GET DENIED. NON-FEDERAL LENDERS DON’T COLLECT DATA ON APPLICANTS’ RACE OR GENDER. IN 2021, THE USDA REJECTED 42 PERCENT OF BLACK DIRECT LOAN APPLICANTS BUT DENIED ONLY NINE PERCENT OF THOSE FROM WHITE FARMERS.
THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME BLACK FARMERS HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND. THE USDA HAS A WELL-KNOWN HISTORY OF ALLEGED DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES. SOME HAVE EVEN CALLED IT “THE LAST PLANTATION” FOR ITS REPUTATION OF PROLONGING OR FLAT-OUT DENYING APPLICATIONS FROM FARMERS OF COLOR.
BOYD JR.: [00:34:46] So you had a farm service agency over the whole country calling me the N-word. And do you want me to believe that they’re going to make sure that blacks receive loans on time when they think and call you the N-word? I’ve been spat on and had my application thrown in a trash can.
BOYD JR.: [00:36:45] And this guy went home with a retirement party after he ruined our lives.
THAT’S FOURTH-GENERATION VIRGINIA FARMER JOHN BOYD JR. HAS BEEN ON THE FRONTLINES OF THIS FIGHT SINCE 1995, WHEN HE FOUNDED THE NATIONAL BLACK FARMERS ASSOCIATION AFTER HIS OWN EXPERIENCE WITH THE USDA.
BOYD JR.: [00:08:07] We’ve been protesting since the eighties, but some of the stuff– I think the Internet only goes back to the nineties. We’ve been very vocal since the early eighties. So I’ve been protesting a very, very long time about some of the same things that I’m protesting about today.
BOYD JR.: [00:05:34] I’m disappointed in the language that passed that had nothing in there about farmers of color, had nothing no language in it for black farmers. It simply says distressed farmers. Those farmers who have been discriminated against, farmers who’ve been discriminated against, could be white women, could be a veteran, could be someone from the gay community or whatever type of discrimination that exists at USDA.
BOYD JR.: [00:06:09] I find any time that black farmers have to compete with the other 96%, in this case, farmers distressed. We always come up on the short end.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, THE NUMBER OF BLACK FARMERS IN AMERICA HAS GONE DOWN BY NINETY EIGHT PERCENT, THE STEEPEST FOR ANY RACIAL GROUP. THE AVERAGE BLACK-OWNED FARM IS ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE SIZE OF THE AVERAGE NON-BLACK FARM AND ONLY POINT FIVE PERCENT OF TOTAL U.S. FARM SALES COME FROM BLACK FARMERS. THAT’S WHY ON TOP OF THE RANCH, THE STEWARTS SPEND THEIR TIME BUILDING A NETWORK OF MINORITY FARMERS WHO HELP EACH OTHER NAVIGATE FEDERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
Rachael: [01:12:18] We have six farmers we’re working to get through the farm service right now across the country.
Rachael: [01:29:34] Sometimes the image that gets portrayed is not ever good. And it’s almost hopeless. And we don’t want people to give up or feel hopeless. [01:29:41][0.8]
STU: [01:28:47] They will fund you. They’ll make you jump through hoops. You better know something or somebody to help you with it. It can be a long road, you know, but. You can get the money.
PART OF THEIR NETWORK OF GROWER FRIENDS INCLUDES RODNEY MACHOKOTO (MAH-CHOH-KOH-TOE), AN ACCOUNTANT-TURNED-URBAN FARMER FROM ZIMBABWE WHO NOW OWNS A FEW DIFFERENT PIECES OF LAND ACROSS THE METRO-PHOENIX AREA. HE SAYS THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GROWERS IN THE AREA ARE OFTEN STRAINED.
RODNEY: [00:27:26] One of the biggest challenges that I’ve found for black farmers here is what I call friendly fire
HE SAYS IT’S AN EXCITING TIME TO BE A FARMER OF COLOR BECAUSE OF THE NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND INITIATIVES PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR RECENTLY. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT CAN GET COMPETITIVE OVER THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE FARMERS OF COLOR IN ARIZONA RIGHT NOW.
RODNEY: [00:50:17] it’s not unique to any group of people. Right. You’re throwing a pot of money in front of any group of people. You will see that.
Rachael: [00:33:32] It’s like this song and dance of, “Well, now, do you approve of me? And have I done enough where you feel I’m worthy?” It’s sad because they don’t treat people with dignity. And in Arizona, people don’t realize what an island we are in where there’s no Black farms here, there’s no diversity here, and the state doesn’t feel like it’s a problem. So when your leaders of the state who designate funding for things or run entire federal programs don’t feel that you matter… What we find a lot in these spaces is validating our existence somehow invalidates their existence.
RACHAEL: [00:34:37] it doesn’t make sense. If you acknowledge that there are minority farms and they need help, why would that take away from anybody else?
BOYD SAYS THAT HE’S ALSO FELT THE PRESSURE. HE SAYS SOME FARMERS ACT AS THOUGH MAKING SPACE FOR BLACK FARMERS WOULD INHERENTLY THREATEN THEIRS.
BOYD JR.: [00:19:28] If you’re eligible and you qualify for a federal program or bank loan, then then you should get it. Including white farmers and anybody that does the hard work, the hardest occupation in the world as a farmer should receive those benefits. But guess what? So should I. So should I. As a black farmer. I should get it. I should get it on time. And if I qualify, I should get the same just as much as the white farmers are. And I’m no better than any white farmer, or anybody by any means. But I’m certainly not any less. Certainly not any less. And I’m saying that on behalf of all black farmers in this country, we’re hard working people and we’ve been dumped on for so long in this country. It’s almost like commonplace, like America has accepted the way that we’ve been dumped on.
PART OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT THAT WAS NOT REPEALED CREATED AN EQUITY COMMISSION. IT’S A FIFTEEN-MEMBER PANEL OF INDEPENDENT EXPERTS THAT SENDS RECOMMENDATIONS TO TOM VILSACK, THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. DEWAYNE GOLDMON IS THE EQUITY COMMISSION’S SENIOR ADVISOR.
GOLDMON: [00:05:50] I started in March of 2021 as the first ever senior advisor for Justice and Equity. I work with the department to define where we have gaps, where we have disparities, and then work with my colleagues across the department to address those gaps and discrepancies.
GOLDMON: [00:16:02] I mean, there were a couple of organizations indeed expressing concern about different parts of the Inflation Reduction Act…
GOLDMON: [00:16:37] But when you look at the fact that it actually provided an opportunity to keep farmers farming and address equity more broadly, most farmers and most farm groups actually complemented both USDA and the administration on creating a plan to really accomplish some needed relief for farmers that had been underserved.
ZACH DUCHENEAUX (DOO-sheh-no) IS THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE USDA’S FARM SERVICE AGENCY OR FSA. HE SAYS THE NEW LEGISLATION WAS THE COMBINED EFFORT OF THE AGENCY AND FARMERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
DUCHENEAUX: [00:15:10] we continue to have discussions with all of our stakeholders at all times.
BUT BOYD JR. SAYS HE NEVER GOT THE CALL THAT THE LANGUAGE WOULD BE CHANGED FROM SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS TO INCLUDE QUOTE-UNQUOTE “DISTRESSED FARMERS” IN THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT.
BOYD JR.: [00:25:36] So here you have the leading advocate, the very voice that was asking for debt relief, the original voice you’re looking down three decades ago to who led the charge and it in the 2016 farm bill and all of this stuff. They didn’t utter a word about repealing this language. I learned about it when it was going to pass, like a day before. Someone said, “Hey, have you seen this language?” I said ”No, I haven’t, so let me see it.”
AND HE SAYS HE’S NOT EXPECTING TO BE DONE ANY TIME SOON.
BOYD JR.: [00:21:12] The arc of justice bends mighty slow. It’s a long bend, it’s a slow bend. And once that arc starts to bend, if you let it go, you start back from scratch. So don’t ever give up on what’s right. And no matter what kind of dirt they throw in your face and keep your hand up and press forward and that’s what I plan on doing.
BACK IN DOUGLAS, RACHAEL SAYS THEY HAVE TO FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH GROWERS WHO DO WANT TO SHARE TIPS WITH EACH OTHER TO BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT FROM THE FEDERAL ASSISTANCE SYSTEM.
RACHAEL: [00:30:39] We’ve learned a lot about agriculture. How the systems work. Every trip has been like more connections, more learning, and they are just more open about sharing information. You know, it’s not a secret. Nothing has to be a secret because we all need food. We all need to work together.
RACHAEL: [00:31:09] Because I told them, I said, “why do you share your proprietary information with everybody?” And they were like: “Because we’re not competition.”
RACHAEL: [01:13:02] we have to take control of our community. If we want our community to be lifted up, we can’t expect them to do it.
IN OCTOBER OF 2022, JOHN BOYD JR AND OTHER FARMERS OF COLOR WHO WERE EXPECTING RELIEF SUED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER THE REPEAL. JUST HOW THE USDA’S EFFORTS TO REVERSE ITS LEGACY OF DISCRIMINATION AND INEQUITY WILL AFFECT FARMERS OF COLOR REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
ATHENA ANKRAH, CRONKITE NEWS
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WE HAD HELP TODAY FROM ATHENA ANKRAH. (list everyone who contributed for the show including the producer credit as well)
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YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORIES YOU HEARD IN TODAY’S NEWS UPDATE, BY GOING TO CRONKITENEWS-DOT-AZPBS-DOT-ORG.
THAT’S ALL FOR YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2 GO. I’M DAMON FAIRALL.
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