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Okay so I've decided to make a thread about the contributions of Black folks to agriculture in the US. Who knows how often I'll update this thread but tap in & learn something! 
#BlackHistoryMonth 
https://twitter.com/smokeyrgreens/status/1356262990044139520
#BlackHistoryMonth https://twitter.com/smokeyrgreens/status/1356262990044139520
In the 60s, Black farmers & landowners in the South were frequently pushed off their land by white farmers for no reason. In response, Shirley & Charles Sherrod formed New Communities Inc - the nation's first land trust - to provide stable housing & work in a communal space.
New Communities acquired 5,738 acres in Lee County, Georgia, becoming the nationâs first community land trust in 1969. At its height, 500+ Black families cultivated 1800 acres, with the site including a market, a greenhouse, a smokehouse making cured meats & a cattle operation.
Land trusts function like so: Land ownership is retained by a community nonprofit while development rights are leased out. The separation of land ownership from the structures above it creates the conditions for permanent affordability & community control.
Unfortunately due to subsequent droughts & overt racism from the local government & the USDA farm loan program, the New Communities Land Trust folded in 1985 & were forced to sell the majority of their land.
Despite losing their land, the New Communities Land Trust did not dissolve. They, along with many other Black farmers, sued the USDA alleging racial discrimination. In July 2009, New Communities was awarded $12 million which was used to buy a former plantation in Georgia.
The pioneering experience of New Communities 50 years ago has led to more than 225 community land trusts across the country today, many in urban areas. This model exists as a way of stabilizing property in a time where most can't afford to buy a house or land.
For more information on New Communities Land Trust, I highly recommend this interview with Shirley Sherrod:
This article also gives a great background on the work of New Communities if you're interested in that. https://snccdigital.org/events/new-communities-formed-in-southwest-georgia/
