African American Contributions to Agriculture
(Pictured: George Washington Carver)
Historically African American agriculturalists, researchers, farmers, and growers have provided various innovative methods for producing crops and preparing them. This month VegU highlights a recipe from one of the most famous agricultural products: peanuts.
Peanuts are often associated with George Washington Carver, an African American agricultural scientist and inventor. Carver promoted grower expansion to alternative crops such as peanuts to prevent soil depletion. He assisted poor farmers with information on how to grow crops, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes, as a source of their own food and to improve their quality of life. Carver developed informational bulletins for farmers. One popularized bulletin contained 105 food recipes using peanuts.
To highlight and reflect on Carver’s agricultural contributions, check out this month’s VegU curated recipe: “Peanut Chicken Stew”
“Peanut Chicken Stew Recipe”
(Pictured: Peanut Chicken Stew)
Source: Southern Living
Recognizing Black History Month
(Pictured: Sharrona Moore, the founder of Lawrence Community Gardens, harvests collard greens in the garden's high tunnel on Feb. 2, 2021. Indiana NRCS photo by Brandon O’Connor)
During the month of Feb., the Farmers Market team celebrates the history of Black Americans and the generational wisdom, courage, and innovative contributions. We remain inspired by the infamous black agriculture leaders, such as George Washington Carver, Henry Blair, John W. Boyd, Jr. and many others. These change-makers are the foundation in how we consume some of the most popular agricultural products today. Their work has inspired many growers and farmers, such as Sharrona Moore, pictured above. Dedicating your time and skill to provide healthy consumption in local food, will always be noteworthy. We are excited to recognize all the future trail blazers and agriculturalists that will bring substantial value to our country!
Contributions of Black Farmers to Agriculture
As we celebrate Black History Month, it is important to note the many contributions of Black farmers. While the role of the agriculture economy has grown, the share of Black farmers in the United States has declined over the last century. Today, just 1.4 percent of farmers identify as Black or mixed race compared with about 14 percent 100 years ago. Black farmers lost 80 percent of their farmland from 1910 to 2007, often because they lacked access to loans or insurance needed to sustain their businesses. However, USDA is committed to making long-lasting change for the future of black farmers.
In celebration of Black History month, we are highlighting major agricultural contributions from African American farmers, horticulturists, and inventors. Their contributions have revolutionized the way our food system functions today.
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Seed Planters: Born a free man in 1807, Henry Blair was the second African American to be issued a United States patent. Despite having no formal education, he was a successful farmer who patented two inventions: a corn planter and a cotton planter. Both of his inventions greatly increased efficiency on the farm by limiting labor and time.
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Organic Farming: “Organic farming” was an African-indigenous system developed over millennia and first revived in the United States by Dr. George Washington Carver, of Tuskegee University in the early 1900s.
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Transportation Refrigeration System: Frederick McKinley Jones is the inventor of one of the most important inventions to modern agriculture: the refrigerated truck.
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Community Supported Agriculture: One of Booker T. Whatley’s 10 commandments was the importance of what he called a Clientele Membership Club. Members of this club paid an initial membership fee which contributed to the success of the farm. In return, they received fresh produce that they would pick themselves. Today, this idea is commonly referred to as community supported agriculture (CSA) and is becoming more popular as the demand for local food continues to grow.
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Crop Rotation: Dr. George Washington Carver was a soil scientist who also pioneered crop rotation and conducted experiments on the restoration of soil fertility.
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(Pictured: A Black History Month festival at a local library in 2014)
Black History Month at Home
Black History Month is here and it is a time to celebrate the many contributions African Americans have made to our society. If you were looking for fun educational ways to celebrate this month with your children, here are a list of things you could do:
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Check out your local children’s museum: Many children’s museums have themed days or special exhibits to honor holidays.
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Study African American cultures and recipes: A great way to know a culture is to partake in and enjoy their food. Make an active decision to explore at least 3 different dishes this month.
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Study influential African Americans based on your child’s interest: Does your child love music, art, or reading? Whatever it is, this is a great way to draw in their attention while teaching them a bit of history.
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Check out other local kid-friendly events in your town: Google local venues or programming such as libraries, playhouses, and more. There’s bound to be something!
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