Progress 05/01/21 to 04/30/24
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience for this grant was a varied constituency of the Georgia community and beyond and included partnerships with various people and organizations to do the work. Target audiences included various Georgia communities thathosted listening sessions as well as attendees from various communities across the state. The audience also included historical and cultural organizations such as the Butler Baker Alumni Group, the African Diaspora Museology Institute, Friends of the Asa Gordon Library at Savannah State University, food groups, farms and farm organizations such as EM Farms, local Chamber and tourism representatives from Milledgeville, Eatonton, and Gray communities, and members of the public spanning various generations to carry out the goals of the work. Ialso utilized the BlackFarmers Network website to disseminate information about the research, as well as to seek information about potential cultural heritagesites that could be included in the trail. The grant also sponsored several opportunities to gather and share informationincluding oneround table discussion with farmers, agricultural practitioners, and those interested inagritourism and or agribusinesses. This event was hostedat EM Farms, a rural farm in Culloden, GA that serves as an event space, working farm, and agritourism site and as a wonderful model for small farmers to multipurpose their approach. There was great enthusiasm for a trail among the group that would serve as both a tool to preserve important landmarksof the community while also providing economic development opportunities in communities that are underserved and resourced. The grantalsohosted threelistening sessions in partnership with community organizations and cultural organizations on the feasibility of a cultural tourism trail in the Georgia Black Belt region that could connect to other areas of the state to promote economic development in underserved and under resourced areas in the Black Belt region. There were very diverse participants in these listening sessions that were very excited about the many treasured community assets that could be used to highlight the culture/heritage of their community and develop the communities economically. The sessionswere hosted in various parts of the state in Eatonton, Cobbtown, and Savannah. Each site was different with different participantsbut there wasoverwhelming support for a trail but apprehension of how to carry it out. There was alsoconcern about sharing treasured community and personal artifacts because of past extractive practices of agencies and groups.They voiced a desire to have these landmarks and artifacts be a part of a cultural heritage trail, but they wanted to make sure there was local control of them so that the community could benefit and control the narrative presented. The grant also attempted to collectadditional information on potential cultural/heritage sites that could be a part of the trail by posting an open call onBlack Farmers' Network (BFN).The call to identify possible cultural/heritage sites on BFN proved to be challenging and was a lesson on how to reach our target audience. Most of the target audience proved to be older persons who served as the custodians of their communityand had the time resource to participate and be engaged in cultural preservation activities. Many of them were not online or had limited digital literacy. Word of mouth, as well asworking with known existing groups within the respective community worked better for connecting with this group.The grant also sponsored the development of a list of potential tourism destinations for a cultural/heritage tourism trail that would highlight the rich and diverse history of the region. Our target audience also included virtual followers of Black Farmers' Network. There have been 10 research dissemination stories as a product of the grant that featured African American farmers and their legacy in the Black Belt region. These stories included farmers who highlighted the rich agrarian history of the region, as well as more recent agriculturalists who entered the profession recently. Yet all thestorieshighlightedvarious explorations of agrarian tradition while showcasingthe sector and theviability of the agricultural work. Also, they highlightedvarious aspects of the research such as centennial farms, agritourism, and value-added products that could serve as the base of a cultural heritage trail andagri-based economic development strategy. These dissemination storieshad a very huge following. Analytics for 2023 showed 6,900 users with over 15,000 views and the home page had over 5000 views. So far for 2024 we have had over 1900 users with over 3,500 views. This has been a very successful platform to disseminate the work. I also receivedseveral invitations to learn and informindividuals about various aspects of the work with particular focus on agriculture and Black farmers. Changes/Problems:There were changes due to the fact that there were very few submissions on the website for potential heritage sites. This led me to do an extensive content analysis of the Reflections newsletter to find heritage sites for the trail. It was also very difficult to find a graduate student to work on this project initially which impacted the timeline for the work. I also decided to have a more information sharing approach to gathering knowledge during the listening session as the participants responded better to this approach than just simply asking questions and the snow ball method better reflected the participants. I also worked with long admired groups to assist with coordinating the sessions because the participants trusted them. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has allowed for my continued development as a researcher and has grown my understanding of agrarianism, southern foodways and food ethnography and how these can be used to develop agribusinesses that may serve as the base for cultural/heritage tourism trails and promote economic development. Ihave expanded my statewide network and learned from various stakeholders, as well as joined practitioners in a national network, Google Food Lab. This network has strengthened my understanding of the potential of cultural heritage preservation as it relates to agriculture and food tremendously. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Blackfarmersnetwork platform has been a way to disseminate information through storytelling. Storytelling continues to be an important tool of the region and the website provides an authentic exploration of Black farmers and their farms to thousands of people. In addition, because of this projec,t the website highlights the goals of historic preservation and agritourism this year as important aspects of the stories told. The information has also been shared on social media platforms facebook and instagram and has generated a large following. i have also disseminated the work to various groups. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The major goals at this part of the grant were to gather data and materials on the subjects of importance to the grant,research key topics, and to gather information from communities in the Black Belt of Georgia. The project resulted in the following information sharing activities.Below are specific dates and times of grant activities that assisted in developing strategies. 1. Round table discussion with 10 participants at EM farm, on December 4, 2021, in which participants also were exposed to an agritourism business with value added products. 2. Listening session hosted by Square O consulting with 23 participants at HK Farms on May 20, 2023, in which participants discussed USDA and State of Georgia farm programs, and historic preservation. 3. Listening session hosted by African Diaspora Museology Institute and Friends of the Asa Gordon Library at Savannah State University, on June 28, 2023, with 47 participants, in which participants discussed the importance of cultural/heritage preservation, and African American agrarian traditions. This session also consisted of the exhibiting community cultural assets such as paintings and print documents. 4. Listening session hosted by the Butler Baker Alumni Association at the Butler Baker School, on July 15, 2023, with 26 participants and community history, as well as cultural/heritage preservation was discussed. This session also consisted of the exhibiting community cultural assets such as paintings, quilts, baskets, and artisans, and food preservation techniques. The next set of goals were to identify strategies for next steps. Based on this project, several methods were identified as possible strategies to assist the important goals of the project. These include: 1. Identification of landmarks and sites strategy. The first strategy was to identify possible cultural/heritage tourism landmarks and sites that could be used as part of the trail and ultimately in a regional economic development trail. The information came from various sources including word of mouth, in listening sessions, web-based research, and a content analysis of the Reflections newsletter (Georgia African American Historic Preservation GAAHPN official newsletter). Over 100 sites have been identified as part of this grant that could be used to serve as anchors of the heritage/tourism trail. They include centennial farms, old Rosenwald schools, historical churches, civil rights landmarks, the residents of prominent leaders, old hotels, historic cemeteries, and local museums. All could be mapped and marketed as a distinct regional approach to economic development. While these are some landmarks, they are certainly not all of them but those identified could serve as a strategy. Now identified, members from those communities could be contacted to participate in an informational session about developing a more concrete trail. 2. Information sharing and gathering strategy. The research also found limited knowledge within the region on using cultural/historical landmarks as an economic development approach. The listening sessions served as a built-in grant strategy to not only share information about the potential trail as an economic development strategy, but also use these opportunities to learn about the treasures within communities that have yet to be explored. In addition, there was some concern expressed by participants of the listening sessions as to whether an authentic cultural/heritage story could be told, as well as a concern for the lack of resources within these communities for such activities. As a result of these frank discussions, the creation of targeted education and outreach efforts specific to these communities are needed to share these strategies within these communities. A partnership with GAAHPN would be rational strategy to carry out this work. It was also established during this grant period that there is a great need for information about economic development among all age groups, as well as a need for grant writing and fundraising approaches that could serve underserved communities in this work. While there are community leaders who focus on grant writing and economic development, very few specifically work on using historic preservation as the main approach. Even more rare are those who focus on African American culture and heritage. To successfully develop a cultural tourism trail within the Georgia Black Belt, there will be a need to educate not only the community members themselves on the approach but also members of the local economic development community and the tourism community as to the advantages to such a strategy. 3. Building cadre of skilled community docents. Due to the need to raise awareness about the significance of Black heritage sites within rural Georgia, and that the activities be locally based, there should be the cultivation of a cadre of community docents within the community, who could carry out the work on the ground if properly trained. This strategy would build the knowledge and skills of community stakeholders as another strategy that would assist in building a replicable pilot within the Georgia Black Belt region. State agencies and educational institutions as well as CBOs partnered in the listening sessions and proved the possible success of this strategy. The collective approach of the listening sessions which partnered with the African Diaspora Museology Institute, dedicated to preserving African heritage through community education and museums, would be a wonderful group to develop community docent education curriculum as well as GAAHPN who were also present at the listening session. 4. Cross community collaboration opportunities. Allowing for opportunities for communities within the trail to engage and share best practices would also be a successful strategy for black land loss reduction and historic preservation activities. Cultivating opportunities for peer-to-peer exchange would allow for information sharing and social networking which will be important to developing and sustaining work. For example, the Butler Baker group in Eatonton, Georgia, who are trying to preserve an old school, hosted a listening session and traveled to the Savannah meeting to learn more about historic preservation there. Cross community collaborations could be a very successful strategy in educating under resourced communities about historical preservation for economic development purposes. In addition, many of these communities are also grappling with Black land loss issues and these could be addressed using this approach as well. Working with major African American Church denominations to identify historical cemeteries. The Baptists, Church of God in Christ (COGIC), African Methodists Episcopal (AME) Christian Method Episcopal (CME) and the African Methodists Episcopal Zion Church (AMEZION) as the largest faith denominations of African American community should be utilized in identifying historic church sites and potential sources of information for historic cemeteries. Factors such as African American migration away from the Black Belt South resulted in fewer cemetery caregivers and knowledge keepers, as well as the aging population, extractive local economic strategies that impact Black communities and cemeteries, have been barriers to black cemetery identification and upkeep. Yet an intentional strategy to engage these nominations could result in potential access to archival data, as well as the identification of local people who are already doing the work or have interest.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
This project produced audio, video, and photos.
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
www.Blackfarmersnetwork.com
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Changing the Regional Narrative: Black Farmers in the Black Belt Region and the Promise of E-Commerce.
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Progress 05/01/22 to 04/30/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this effort is varied. The audience incudes African American farmers and Black Belt residents. Other audiences reached during this phase of the grant include students at universities, groups with an interest in African American agriculture and history, and those who are interested in the historic preservation of farms and communities within the Black Belt region of Georgia. Additionalaudiences include the general public as a way to inform on issues pertaining to the Black Belt region of Georgia and its preservation and development. Audiences were reached in various ways including, social media, educational institutions, farm organizations,media coverage, Black farmers network website, individual meetings, presentations and listening sessions specific to the grant. I also used two important invitations to inform individuals about Black farmers and Black agrarianism through presentations and individual conversations. Invited Lecturer, Black Agriculture and Food, the History of Black Farmers in the Black Belt Region, The University of Chicago, Food Security and Food Policy in the US (May 11, 2023) Invited Attendee, Google Food Lab, Mountain View, California (April 24-27, 2023) In addition, I hosted two listening sessions on May 20, 2023 and June 28, 2023 on Black agriculture and Black historic preservation within the Black Belt region. I also contributed to the CBS Documentary 40 Acres and Mule aired June 2023 which had a huge audience base. Changes/Problems:I had continued changes in the approach and timeline and asked and received an extension to complete the project. The goal of developing a regional approach was a lofty one at best. I am finding that the short time frame for the project is a major problem ofreaching this goal. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has allowed for my continual individual study and research of Black farmers, Black heritage sites and the Black Belt region. It has also expanded my network within the Georgia Black Belt region. I have had an opportunity to travel through the stateand disseminate information about Black farmers and the Black Belt region on various platforms. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Blackfarmersnetwork platform has been a way to disseminate information through storytelling. Storytelling continues to be an important tool of the region and the website provides an authentic exploration of Black farmers and their farms. In addition, because of this project the website highlights the goals of historic preservation and agritourism this year as important aspects of the stories told. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The next reporting period will include developing a document that will identify Black farms within the region that could participate in agritourism and possible sites for cultural and heritage tourism that would serve as the basis of a trail.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Several goals have been accomplished and some are ongoing. The goals of identifying strategies to support African American alternative agricultural enterprises, agritourism ventures,cultural and heritage tourism, as well as community asset and capacity building efforts wereall focused on this year. The major problems I am trying to fix is the loss ofBlack land, Black land retention and the disappearance of Black agrarian traditions. The other problem is the lack of asset building approaches in rural Georgia within the Black Belt region and the lack of usage of agritourism and historic preservation as a strategy for regional development. There is a distinct regional difference between North Georgia and Applachiaand its usage of land, land retention, agritourism and heritage tourism and the state's Middle and Southern region and theBlack Belt region's usage. Based on this project, several methods were identified as possible strategies to assistthegoals of the project this year. These include: 1. The identification ofstate cultural and heritage sites that could be used as an economic development strategy. I have found over 100 total. 2. The creation of targeted grant writing and preservation training opportunities within underserved communities as a necessary strategy to support the preservation of places that could be used as part of a cultural heritage tourism trail. This is a future goal that came from the listening sessions of this project. 3. Due to the need to raise awareness about the significance of Black heritage sites within rural Georgia there should be the cultivation of educational collaborations between state agencies and interested parties to build the will and skills of community stakeholders as another strategy that would assist in building a replicable pilot within the Georgia Black Belt region. State agencies and educational CBOs partnered in the listening sessions and proved the success of this goal. 4. Developing and supporting technical assistance on historic preservation and asset based community developmentfor underserved and underresourced communities, rural CBOs, churches, and communitymembers as a strategy for historic preservation and community capacity building should be utilized. I worked with a group in Eatonton Georgia who are trying to preserve an old school. 5. Targeting historic African American churches and cemeteries should be utilized as a method for identifying historic sites as these, were and in some cases still are, typically the heart of the community and impacted many aspects of the lives of the members and the community. The project resulted in two listening sessions that not only heard from community stakeholders about their community and the feasibility of a heritage trail that could be used as an economic development strategy, these sessions also included the identification of additional sites to add to the trail. They also covered agritourism and issues related to Black land retention such as heirs property. Seventy people participated in these sessions. These discussions also allowed for the identification of the aforementioned future goals of this section. These sessionsrevealed the lack of information about asset-based development in general and using agritourism and historic preservation as anchors of community building and development, as well. The participants in these sessions have been immediately helped by the work and have started to work to preserve a church within the community. In addition, a young agrarian family is also working to prepare their farm for agritourism in that same community of Eatonton GA as a result of the listening sessionin Eatonton. I am working with both. The project also resulted in the continued identification of farms and historical sites that could be utilized in a regional cultural heritage trail. My project educated various groups on the need to address Black land retention and acquistion. It also educated stakeholders on the feasibility of a regional cultural heritage trail as an economic development strategy. It also assessed a regional approach and identified the opportunities and barriers to developing one.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
www.blackfarmersnetwork.com
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Progress 05/01/21 to 04/30/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this effort is varied. The audience incudes African American farmers and Black Belt residents. Other audiences reached during this initial phase of the grant include students at universities, historic conference audiences, groups with an interest in African American history and those who are interested in the historic preservation of farms and communities within the Black Belt region of Georgia. Other audiences were reached by media coverage.Target audiences were reached through individual meetings, presentations andlistening sessions specific to the grant. Hosted Listening Session with 11 Black Female farmers and Agriculturalists December 2021 Hosted Black Farmer Listening session on Agriculture and Environment in conjuction with Georgia Drawdown 2021 Sponsored two webinars on Black land retention and Heirs property in May and July 2021 Meeting with SUSTA personnel to discuss feasibility of Black farmer engagement in program and services Presentations and/or panelists on Black farmers and Agriculture to the following groups: University of Chicago Institute of Politics, Yale University Agrarian Studies Program, 2021 American Prosperity Summit, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, The St. George Tucker Society,University of Chicago, Crown School of Social Work, Social Policy, and Practice, Changes/Problems:I had some challenges identifying and hiring a graduate student initially. However, I was finally able to hire someone. There was also a bit of a slowdown and adjustments to the work timeline for the listening sessions because I needed to find alternative ways to identify potential historic sites and agritourism sites. This is the result of the revelation that receiving information on potential historic sites using Blackfarmersnetwork only was not going to be enough. Based on my work with the Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network I decided to do a content analysis ofthe network's newsletter Reflections. As a result,I have catalogued over 90 sites that include old schools, churches, farms, city districts etc., What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project hasallowed for my continual individual study and research of Black farmers and the Black Belt region. It has also expanded my professional network. I have had an opportunity to travelthrough mystudies and disseminate information about Black farmers and the Black Belt region on various platforms. I also joined the Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network to learn more about preservation efforts within the state, to participate in training opportunities,and to assess the possibility of using historic preservation as an economic development strategy. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Blackfarmersnetwork platform has been a way to disseminate information through storytelling. Storytelling is an important tool of the region and the website provides an authentic exploration of Black farmers and their farms. In addition, because of this project the website highlightsthe goals of historic preservation and agritourism this year as important aspects of the stories told. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The next reporting period will really focus on Black historic preservation and I will continue to develop a visual archive of Black farmers and farms in Georgia. The website will continue to display the extraordinary history and work of Black farmers in the region.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Several goals have been accomplished and some are ongoing. The goals of identifyingstrategies to increase African American farm capabilities, community asset and capacity building, as well asidentifyingmethods of Black land acquistion and retention have been the most prominent goals this year for the project. Based on the work of the project, identified strategies include: 1. Identifyingnational, state and local funders who can provide startup capital forland acquisition andfunds toupgrade existing farms in order to progress Black land retention within the rural Black Belt region of the state is a needed strategy. 2. Exploring potential opportunities provided bylocal CDFIs that specifically work to supportthe financial needs of Black farmers, as another local funding resource,is a another potentialstrategy. 3. Creating targeted grant writing, rural entrepreneurship and small businesstraining and development opportunities within underserved communities is a necessary strategy to support Black land acquisition and retention, as well as community asset and capacity building. 4. Developing and supporting technical assistance and mentoring supportfor African American farmers within the Black Belt region as a strategy should be broadened through the support of existing local community-based organizations or through the creation of social entreprenuership opportunities. 4. Creating a portal of existing Black land and farms that are available for purchase or lease to aid Black land acquisition. 5. Developing and expanding e-commerce infrastructural development will aidcommunity asset and capacity building. While there seems to be a continued lack of participation in many USDA programs and services, there does seem to be knowledge sharing among peers. Peer to peer dissemination of information and social media sharing among younger farmers in particular have proven to beeffective ways of overcomingthe barriers to information exchange and should be seen as a successful strategy to support in the future.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
www.blackfarmersnetwork.com
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