Show Me the $: The Truth About An Average Black Farmer in America

I love the idea of returning to a more natural way of living.  Indeed no other community should have closer ties to mother earth than urban African Americans.  I've lived in Chicago all my life, and not once in my childhood had I ever seen a vegetable garden in someones yard. No schools, no churches, and surely no community gardens.  But now gardens are growing everywhere! I love to see urban spaces transformed into a cultural growing space for people to feel proud of.  I also love to see communities come together in attempts to lead the charge for other social issues that can be addressed through outdoor activities such as gardening be that vegetables or flower beds.

It is in the promotion of urban agriculture as a resolution to social issues that I begin to dissect the method in which this can be accomplished.  The prescription of urban ag for social issues is not misplaced, however I struggle with really understanding the boundaries to those benefits.  With urban Black communities facing issues around underemployment, unemployment, education limitations, poor health and more urban agriculture has emerged as a prescriptive green space for the social, emotional and cultural stressors of being Black in the city.

However are we really understanding how urban agriculture can benefit Black communities outside of growing to sell?  Don't get me wrong, the idea of generating revenue off of your harvest is what a farmer does, but is that what we should be doing? Maybe that came out wrong....I mean is that what we all should be attempting to do?  From my perspective creating a market driven garden or becoming a full time farmer is a utopian reality for everyone to attempt.  Let us look at some numbers of Black Farmers in the United States to ground us in the fiscal reality of farming.

The average value of sales of Black Farmers based upon the U.S. Agricultural Census of Black Farmers was about $21,000, in comparison to the average for ALL farmers which is around $130,000. Furthermore, 93% of those Black Farmers that reported receive less than 50% of their income from farming!! Yes I said it less than half of their income comes from farming.  So what insight does that impart upon those of us in the urban ag community as we talk about wealth building of people of color through urban agriculture?  For me, it means that communities need some support in understanding HOW to utilize the benefits of urban ag.

"Almost half (46 percent) of all black-operated farms are classified as beef cattle farms and ranches, compared to 30 percent of all farms nationwide. Another 20 percent are classified as “all other crop farms,” compared to 23 percent of farms overall. This category includes hay farms and farms where no single crop comprised more than 50 percent of sales. And, while 15 percent of farms overall are classified as grain and oilseed farms, only 8 percent of black-operated farms fall into this category." U.S. Agricultural Census USDA

Moving forward maybe it is not on the growing and selling of a harvest that will "generate local revenue". What if we circled back to utilize the production of foods and products for our own consumption and the consumption of our community members?  What if we found that sweet spot of harvest production that allowed our homes to SAVE $200 on their grocery bills available to SPEND $200 on supporting local businesses, or available to SPEND on increasing the value of their homes, or available to INVEST in resources like a snow plow for the block club during the winter (credit Jeffrey Jones IDNR). What if we saw this as an opportunity to NOT spend money?

The truth about an average Black Farmer in America is that they are also the working poor, and more often than not they are not selling vegetables.  In order for us to grow economically in our communities with urban ag we must be very intentional about how we identify and utilize the benefits of it.  I will continue to blog about urban ag from the perspective of sustainability and economic empowerment of urban minority communities.  As I have discussions and work over this summer I will highlight the other benefits such as environmental education, the revitalization of volunteerism and neighbor networks, the health benefits of getting outside, the increase in property values, the spiritual reconnection and more.  But I challenge those in urban ag working with communities on economic empowerment through urban ag to be forward thinking about alternative economic benefits besides the direct selling of produce.

Be well dear friends,

Kels

Follow me on Twitter: @greenKels

Pick Your Plants Wisely

 In 2010 Blacks were reported to have the lowest amount of home ownership of any ethnic group at 45.4% however more often than not those African American homeowners are living in African American communities. When the housing and financial crisis hit, Black communities suffered tremendously, like in the Chicago community of Roseland where home ownership dropped from 64% to 53% in 2013. What people don't realize is that these were more than just houses, they were homes sitting on pieces of land. Living land, that requires attention and care.  The type of attention and care that also require energy and income to make it into something beautiful.  That beauty can be grass, a rock garden, a water feature, veggies, or flowering bushes, bird feeders, or mulch.

 The social consequences of segregation  such as inequity of eduction and distribution of resources and services are always discussed,  but what about the environmental consequences? Yes, the environment reflects the decisions of the people in an area.  While every individual in the African American community makes up their own minds about what they like and dislike, we do share similar world views and perspectives based upon our upbringing.  It is not a bad thing, it's just a thing.  Yet when we look at how environmental decisions are made in accord there are unintentional consequences. The natural areas of our homes creates a collective natural environment.  When we see our neighbor plant something it is more likely that we will plant it too.  What ends up happening is that we suffer from "Who wants to be like/who wants to be like/ The Jones'" (You should hear me sing it, lol I sound just like the Temptations).

So what on earth does this have to do with invasive species awareness month? I thought you would never ask! Our decisions to care for the pieces of land that are ours comes from first understanding how to make good decisions.  If you are a homeowner you are directly responsible for the decisions of what you do in your yard.  Together our communities and homes play a huge role in the environmental health of our cities, because often we are so segregated our choices for plants and landscaping turn into something much larger.  If all of us are unaware and chose invasive plants for our homes trust me it is not a good thing to have that in common with ALL your neighbors.  I celebrate our culture and closeness, but I am disheartened by our lack of information.

While invasive plants are sold in nurseries and plant stores if you don't know what is and what isn't invasive you buy whats pretty!  I know when I was planning my landscape at first it wasn't even a thought to consider what should and shouldn't be in my yard.  I thought if it was being sold it was ok.  This is so far from the truth. I also thought if I brought in a landscaper they would know, but they too were just as lost.

It really is YOUR responsibility if you are TRYING to ben environmentally friendly to first educate yourself.  Sometimes you may not have the mindset to do so, which is why you should follow me (shameless plug) as your green guide to the fertile land of sustainability....(insert Ease on down the road song here from The Wiz). It is ok that people in our community are starting from scratch, we have a lot to learn and lots to do so that our communities can contribute to our own health and the health of mother earth.

If you are wondering how to find out information on what to plant in your yard, there are very close friends to help at the Chicago Botanic Garden. On their website they have a list of plants in the Chicago region that are invasive including trees, shrubs and grasses.  If you are thinking of visiting a nursery looking for new life for your space take care to find out if you are adding to the problem through your purchases or being a leader and knowing what you grow is going to be a good thing for nature.  Below are the CBG's ways you can help control invasive plants. You know what we say...."when you know better, you do better" I'm remixing that to say "when you know better, you grow better".

• Learn about invasive plants.

• Phase out the invasive plants on your property.

• Plant only noninvasive species.

• Attend Garden classes and symposia about invasive plants and biodiversity.

• Volunteer to monitor threatened plants of the region.

• Volunteer for stewardship activities at the Garden and other natural areas.

I very much wanted to articulate how much land is owned by African Americans through home ownership here in Chicago, but came up short in looking at the Census data.  It appears as though you can get the average of home ownership but it doesn't tell you how much land in terms of the sizes of homes.  (Crossing fingers for an interested reader to find out and share for us!)

Follow me on twitter: @greenkels

Why Blacks should care about Invasive Species

It has been over a year since I've written in this blog. Mostly because there are so many blogs in cyberspace about the environment, but this one is different.  Grass vs. Glass is really about helping city folk realize that our urban environments can help us or hurt us.  That hurt can come from man made products like vehicles causing air pollution, or from plants like ragweed that also cause air pollution.  Pollen pollution while seasonal can have extremely harmful consequences on the young, and elderly. While pollen is responsible for making new plants such as beautiful flowers and even apple trees, pollen also can cause allergic reactions.  With May being Invasive Species Awareness Month, I thought this was a perfect time to start the discussion on the direct relationship between city plants, and the health of city people.  Primarily I want to make sure, my community recognizes the importance of being aware, making decisions and supporting a healthier environment that directly benefits us.  

First there are some basics we have to cover so that everyone is on the same page.

What is an invasive plant?

It is a plant that grows very fast and very aggressive. These plants spread quickly and rapidly and while they can survive here are not supposed to be here because they cause problems for the plants that are native.

What kind of problems do they cause for other plants?

You can think about invasive plants like thieves. They steal sunlight, water and space from the plants that are native to an area. What happens is that the invasive plants take over completely leaving no space, or nutrients for the other plants.

Why should I care?

Overall everyone should care about our environment, but for Black people urban air quality creates health issues causing hospital visits and in rare cases death.  We should care about all the sources that lessens our air quality because it affects our wellbeing.

Air quality and asthma 

The below figure also tells a striking story, that by in large when looking at children under the age of 18 income and ethnicity matter, this is especially true for being a Black child in the city.  Essentially, income matters less than your race/ethnicity, and if you are a Black child it is more likely that you will develop asthma when compared to children in the same income level but of different races/ethnicities.  While genetics plays a role in it, your environment and the quality of your air plays a significant role in the development of asthma.  But we know this right we know that our communities have high rates of asthma especially here in Chicago. Some of it is from transportation and exhaust or from factories and some.....well some is from the very thing that gives us oxygen to breathe, plants.

Plants are amazing and wonderful, but sometimes can cause problems.  Depending on the species of plant the pollen can make people very sick affecting the respiratory system. Ragweed pollen is infamous for causing such problems.  This plant makes large amounts of pollen that is blown by the wind into the air that we breathe.  Most often this weed grows along roadsides with other weedy plants.  Invasive Species Awareness Month is to help the public understand the significant impact of invasive plants on society and the environment.  

If you care about the health of the people you MUST care about the health of the environment. Similar to the diseases found in our bodies you can consider invasive plants as the cancer equivalent in nature.  For Blacks in the city, we are already exposed to higher rates of poorer air quality because of, industrialization, and where we can afford to live.  While there are some air quality issues that may take longer to resolve, such as transportation and factories, pollen from invasive species can be addressed immediately.

In order for a healthy environment to be our reality we must first care.  Not only should we care because we may be suffering but we should also care because nature helps us in many ways.  It is important for everyone to contribute to the solution of invasive species by first being educate, and second by their actions.  This months' blogs will be dedicated to making the public aware of invasive species in Chicago and the state of Illinois and learning what is being done, how thy affect us and what our communities can do to support our air quality through the removal of invasive plants.

If you are looking for ways to get involved this month check out the events in the Illinois Invasive Species calendar. This month we will dig into invasive plants, urban air quality, poverty and race.  It is sure to be a wealth of information and hopefully will help us understand why Blacks should care about invasive species.

Further Reading
http://www.epa.gov/epahome/sciencenb/asthma/HD_AA_Asthma.pdf
http://www.acponline.org/patients_families/pdfs/subspec/asthma.pdf
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pollution-poverty-people-color-asthma-inner-city/

Follow me on twitter: @greenkels