USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Creating opportunities for farmers and businesses. Image: Aerial view of red barn on green terrain.

Black History Month

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service sent this bulletin at 02/25/2021 03:00 PM EST

The USDA Farmers Market is a "living laboratory," dedicated to providing opportunities for farmers, ranchers and small businesses to sell their products to those living in and visiting our Nation's capital.

In 1915 Carter G. Woodson was frustrated by the underrepresentation of Black Americans in university history classes. He decided to do something about it and along with Jesse E. Moorland started the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) to motivate the inclusion of Black Americans in historical textbooks and discussion. 11 years later, the second week in February was declared Negro History Week coinciding with Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas’s birthdays. The goal of this week was to disseminate information about black life, history and culture to the community. 50 years later, during the United States’ 1976 Bicentennial, President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month as a nationally celebrated event to be observed every February. This year we celebrate 45 years of celebrating Black History Month.

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Eee and Zee Arenas holding their bottled lemonade

When life gives you lemons, make LemonadeLove! Sisters Eee and Zee Arenas started LemonadeLove in 2008 as a side business to generate extra income. However, in 2018 the profitable hobby blossomed into a community adored family business. With a focus on utilizing local produce, Eee and Zee make it a point to support women farmers by purchasing their produce from them. They try to use locally grown fruit, herb and veggies in every product. Eee and Zee not only craft made to order frozen lemonades, they also bottle their tasty lemonades to make them more accessible to their customers. Being in this business hasn’t always been easy for these sisters, but they have found ways to turn their challenges into opportunities. Soon you will get to purchase their lemonade products in stores. According to Eee and Zee, the key to their success is putting God first in all that they do. They are grateful for their family who helps bring everything together and customers that inspire and encourage them to go further. Community is very important to the sisters. They often conduct community fundraisers to help individuals in need of financial assistance. LemonadeLove misses seeing and interacting with their customers at the USDA Farmers Market and they are praying for everyone to make it through this trying time. The USDA Farmers Market would not be what it is today without vendors like LemonadeLove and so we thank them for their contributions and service.

Featured Produce

Did you know…

Radishes are a popular commodity grown in various regions. However, California and Florida grow the biggest crops in the United States. Radishes are related to wasabi, a type of horseradish, which is used as a popular condiment in Japanese cuisine.

For more facts and information on radishes, check out the

“Get VegU-cated: The How to Grow, Pick, Prepare and Store series” video.

“Roasted Winter Vegetable Medley”

Recipe Card

Happy Black History Month

As you know, the USDA Farmers Market team appreciates all special holidays, cultures and tributes. During the month of February, there is a special emphasis on recognizing the contributions and achievements that African Americans have made to the United States of America. Specifically, in agriculture, there are many African Americans who have dedicated their lives to science, health, nutrition, research and farming. Here’s a few but there are many more!

Henry Blair – He invented and patented the seed planter on October 14, 1834, which allowed farmers to plant more corn, at a faster rate during a shorter time.

Frederick McKinley Jones – He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his innovation in refrigeration to transport perishable goods at a greater distance.

John W. Mitchell – He helped African American farmers save money by helping them buy their supplies in bulk and became the Director of African American extension services for USDA in the 1940’s.

Booker T. Whatley – He encouraged farmers to create agriculture clubs where memberships are sold in exchange for fresh produce for a steady cash flow, essentially similar to what we know as the CSA model.

USDA’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights has kicked off their tributes with George Washington Carver, his significance in the history of Agriculture and scientific dedication to society. You can read more here: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/carver

USDA 1890 National Scholarship Program

The USDA/1890 National Scholars Program was founded in 1992 as a partnership between the USDA and the 1890 Land-Grant Universities. The goal of the program is to increase the number of African Americans studying agriculture, food, natural resource sciences and related disciplines. The USDA/1890 Scholars Program provides full tuition, fees, books, room and board, employment and employee benefits to recipients of the scholarship. The amazing thing about this program is that once the student graduates with their bachelors, not to exceed four years, the scholar may be eligible for conversion to permanent employment appointment in service to USDA without further competition.

If you have a student or know a student that is interested in the agricultural field, this is a great way to gain experience. Typically, the application period comes around once a year in January. However, you can find more information about the program and the participating universities here: https://www.usda.gov/partnerships/1890NationalScholars

Michelle Obama Starring in the Cooking Show, ”Waffles + Mochi”

Michelle Obama announced the release of her brand new cooking show for kids, Waffles + Mochi. Waffles + Mochi is a 10-part series that will be launching on Netflix on March 16. Mrs. Obama, Waffles and Mochi travel the world learning about all types of food in order to help Waffles and Mochi achieve their dream of becoming chefs. It is both entertaining and educational and perfect for family fun. Click the image above to see the preview of what this show will entail!

Due to the COVID-19 National Emergency, the opening of the USDA Farmers Market is pending. We will provide updates as we receive guidance.

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