BLACK FARMERS
CONTRIBUTIONS
TO AGRICULTURE
7 CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK FARMERS TO AGRICULTURE
BOOKER T. WHATLEY'S TEN COMMANDMENTS
BLACK FARMERS CONTRIBUTIONS TO AGRICULTURE LINKS
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SECTION 1
7 CONTRIBUTIONS
OF BLACK FARMERS
TO AGRICULTURE
As technology and research have advanced in the past 200 years, the way
we approach farming has changed significantly. Countless inventions,
ideas, and practices from important figures in history have increased
productivity and efficiency on the farm. In celebration of Black History
month, we are highlighting seven major agricultural contributions from
African American farmers, horticulturists, and inventors.
Their contributions have revolutionized the way our food system functions
today.
1. Early Seed Planters
Henry Blair- 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 The corn planter had a compartment which
held and dropped the seeds to the ground and rakes which followed to cover
them with soil. The cotton planter was horse drawn and had two shovel-like
attachments that divided the soil. Behind it, he put a cylinder shaped wheel
that dropped the seeds into the newly turned soil. Both of his inventions
greatly increased efficiency on the farm by limiting labor and time.
2. Biological Regeneration of
the Soil Through the Nitrogen
Cycle and Crop Rotation
George Washington Carver, an agricultural scientist, inventor, and educator at
Tuskegee University sought to revitalize southern soil that had been stripped
by cotton, a nitrogen depleting crop. He developed a crop rotation method that
alternated the cotton with legumes like peanuts that fix nitrogen and other
edible crops such as corn. This method increased the soil’s productive capacity
and also gave southern farmers another crop to produce and sell besides cotton,
thus diversifying the market.
3. Compost
In addition to crop rotation, Dr. Carver promoted the practice of using compost
to reintroduce nutrients and add organic matter to the soil. He showed that
using compost for soil revitalization increased its productivity by a hundredfold
compared with previous common methods. Using compost to build soil is a critical
practice in organic farming and gardening today.
4. Sustainable Farming Practices
Booker T. Whatley, an Alabama horticulturist, author, and Tuskegee University
professor, examined efficient farming practices which allowed the small farmer
to make the most of his/her farm while making a decent living. His book, How
To Make $100,000 Farming 25 Acres (1987), explores his ten commandments of
farming that assist the farmer in minimizing unnecessary costs, limiting wastes,
and maximizing income and farm space with smart crop selection. He also continued
the use of soil regeneration techniques supported by George Washington Carver, a
faculty member of the previous generation. His work continues to be a guide for
small farmers towards success and sustainability.
5. Community Supported Agriculture
One of Booker T. Whatley’s ten 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. This ensured a constant cash flow into
the farm, while saving on time and labor. Dr. Whatley identified this as an
essential aspect of a successful farm in the 1960’s and 70’s. 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.
6. Transportation Refrigeration System
Frederick McKinley Jones is the inventor of one of the most important inventions to
modern agriculture: the refrigerated truck. From an early age, he took a strong
interest in mechanics and electricity. He patented his refrigeration system in 1940
and became the co-owner of the company Thermo King through which he sold his invention.
The system allowed perishable foods to be shipped to further distances and even overseas.
It was installed in trucks, boats, planes, and boxcars and improved the worldwide food
trade. Because of his invention, fresh seasonal produce could be enjoyed throughout the
entire year. Other concepts such as frozen foods, supermarkets, and container shipping
were all derived from the work of Frederick Jones.
7. Farming Cooperatives
Since the abolition of slavery in 1865, numerous farming cooperatives were established
to increase opportunities, land ownership, agricultural education, and living conditions
for black farmers despite the setbacks from systemic discrimination. Historical figures
such as Booker T. Washington worked to offer agricultural education to Blacks under the
Second Morrill Act of 1890. He also promoted self-sufficiency practices so black farmers
did not have to rely on white landowners or the cotton market for income. Others such as
Robert Lloyd Smith who began the Black farming cooperative called the Farmers Improvement
Society of Texas (FIST) worked to benefit black farmers in all aspects of life. During the
Civil Rights movement, many others including activist Fannie Lou Hamer, religious figures
and political leaders continued to seek better livelihoods for Blacks in agriculture. The
work of these individuals has helped improve conditions for Black farmers in the U.S.
7 Contributions of Black Farmers to Agriculture
https://www.farmproject.org/blog/2017/2/4/hikqys8igvv0bo368aco3mrb1rv7d1?fbclid=IwAR0ET2VG7d_Y80GPrKoTtzISW-K4eQuOcD1d1ic4BSXc71RJD5ZCmdKn7qo
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SECTION 2
BOOKER T. WHATLEY'S
TEN COMMANDMENTS
Thy small farm shalt:
I. Provide year-round, daily cash flow.
II. Be a pick-your-own operation.
III. Have a guaranteed market with a Clientele Membership Club.
IV. Provide year-round, full-time employment.
V. Be located on a hard-surfaced road within a radius of 40 miles
of a population center of at least 50,000, with well-drained soil and an
excellent source of water.
VI. Produce only what they clients demand—and nothing else!
VII. Shun middlemen and middlewomen like the plague, for they
are a curse upon thee.
VIII. Consist of compatible, complementary crop components that
earn a minimum of $3,000 per acre annually.
IX. Be 'weatherproof', at least as far as possible with both drip
and sprinkler irrigation.
X. Be covered by a minimum of $250,000 worth ($1 million is better)
of liability insurance.
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African-American
Farmers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:African-American_farmers
African-American
history of agriculture
in the United States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_history_of_agriculture_in_the_United_States
Black Farmers
and Agriculturalists
Association Inc
https://www.bfaa4us.org/
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Black Farmers
& Agriculturalists
Association, Inc
BFAA
http://mybfaa.us/
National
Black Farmers
Association
(NBFA)
http://www.nationalblackfarmersassociation.org/
Nat'l Black Farmers
Assn scholarships
https://www.morningagclips.com/natl-black-farmers-assn-scholarships/
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SECTION 3
BLACK FARMERS
CONTRIBUTIONS TO
AGRICULTURE
LINKS
7 Contributions of Black Farmers to Agriculture
Poughkeepsie Farm Project
https://commonsharefood.coop/hidden-histories-7-contributions-of-black-farmers-to-agriculture-poughkeepsie-farm-project/
'Black Farmers in America'
https://www.npr.org/2005/02/22/5228987/black-farmers-in-america
Black Farmers Are Being Forced Off Their
Land by Longstanding Government Discrimination
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bj349a/black-farmers-are-being-forced-off-their-land-by-longstanding-government-discrimination
Black Farmers – Black Inventors
https://urbanintellectuals.com/black-farmers-black-inventors/
Black Farmers’ Lives Matter:
The significant contributions
of Black Farmers in America
https://foodfirst.org/press-releases/black-farmers-lives-matter-the-significant-contributions-of-black-farmers-in-america/
The contribution of black farmers to food security
https://citizen.co.za/business/1970667/the-contribution-of-black-farmers-to-food-security/
‘Freedom Farmers’ Tells the History of
Black Farmers Uniting Against Racism
https://civileats.com/2018/12/20/freedom-farmers-tells-the-history-of-black-farmers-uniting-against-racism/
Minorities in Agriculture
https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/minorities-agriculture
Poughkeepsie Farm Project
https://www.farmproject.org/
The Relative Contribution of Black Farmers
to South African Agricultural Production
https://wandilesihlobo.com/2018/03/04/the-relative-contribution-of-black-farmers-to-south-african-agricultural-production/
The Small Farm Plan By Booker T. Whatley
https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/small-farm-plan-zmaz82mjzkin
What happened to America’s black farmers?
https://grist.org/food/what-happened-to-americas-black-farmers/
Where Are the Black Hemp Farmers?
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2019/04/01/where-are-the-black-hemp-farmers
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Racial Equity
Resource Guide
http://www.racialequityresourceguide.org/organizations/organizations/sectionFilter/Racial%20Healing
Understanding
Prejudice
https://secure.understandingprejudice.org/
Equal Justice
Initiative
https://eji.org/
The Collective
Black People Movement
(CBPM)
http://cbpm.org/index.html
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TRIP DOWN
MEMORY LANE
https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/
A Gathering
of Readers
https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~gathread/index.html
Malawi
Project
http://www.malawiproject.org/
Afro Kids
http://www.afrokids.com/
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THE FREEMAN
INSTITUTE
http://www.freemaninstitute.com/
Africa
Resource
http://www.africaresource.com/
Real History
World Wide
http://www.realhistoryww.com/
Quatr.us
http://quatr.us/
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African-American
Resources
http://www.ushistory.org/more/african-american.htm
African American
Studies Library
Research Guide
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~savega/aframer.htm
African Music
Encyclopedia
http://africanmusic.org/
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AFROPEDEA
http://www.afropedia.org
World Afropedia
http://worldafropedia.com/afropedia/Main_Page
African
Indigenous Science
and Knowledge Systems
http://www.africahistory.net/
Natives Wiki
http://tribalspedia.wikia.com/wiki/Natives_Wiki
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Islamic Wiki
http://islam.wikia.com/
List of African
mythological figures
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African_mythological_figures
Minority
Treaties
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minority_Treaties
Sexism
http://www.understandingprejudice.org/
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