Underserved Famers In Gray, Court South Carolina and their partnership,
by Dennis S. Murray Sr
On July 15-16, 2023 in Gray, Court, SC hosted by National Veteran Agriculture Association (NVAA) and sponsored by Clemson University and USDA at Gray Court Town Hall 329 Main Street, SC 29645. The meeting open up with a welcome from Mr. Jones, Executive Director and Founder of NVAA then Dr. Robinson from Clemson University proceeded with a introduction and remarks about the issues facing underserved famers and the result from they data research collection regarding the “stressors” that famers in SC regions continue to face with USDA
from the federal and county level and the conflicts that continue to haunt these Black and minority famers in South Carolina nationally.
During the dialogue from the majority of the audience and its participants who consist of Black and Minority farmers of several nationalities both male and female who after the Black Famers lawsuit Pigfoot #1 and #2 are still being shout-out of the funding process from USDA who were consistently denying funds and grants from USDA and have done this for centuries that resulted in a 2.2 Billion settlement against USDA. “These are they words”! To many of the participants said that they were turndown for funding over the last 10 plus year and many of them didn’t qualify for PPP assistance during the Covid pandemic or were turndown period.
The finding's from Dr. Robinson report and the data research collected from Clemson University by Dr. Robinson resulted in the same stressors that effected Black Famers prior to the lawsuit settlement that still exist today. Centuries later and to often these famers are either losing their property, develop illness/sickness, and financial hardship because they still lack the needs to exist exist as a farmer whos feeds there county and this nation. Red-tap and grant funding language s often unidentifiable with many lawyers are also confused. During the meeting a Black farmer made a remark that his wife who is a lawyer can;t understand the language. This participants feels that USDA still lacks that empathy to serve Black and minority Famers especially those labeled underserved which is a word that is derogatory towards them and has seem discriminatory for centuries.
However, the conversation during the meeting was enlighten among each other because they came to realization that more collaboration among Black and minorities famers need to happen especially those that have language barriers. Dr. Robinson lack the resources to help none English speaking farmers and indicated that to USDA authorities but he enlisted the from Ms. Mercela Villagra of the South Carolina Department of Education to assist in the completion of their data research collection regarding the Hispanic farmers in numerous part of the regions of Gray Court, SC.
As I meeting progressed many of the farmers were interested in farm conversation because to much of their property had not been farm nor were they making any money therefore, I mentioned to them during our discussions this would increase their yearly profits and farm value while boosting them economically, but many of them had already had a bad taste in there mouth regarding USDA officials and were equally disappointed in the county officials as well in treating them like second class citizens. I mentioned that there are still some great people working at USDA that would be willing to help them in Washington, DC Headquarters with USDA Natural Conversation Resources Service (NCRS) and Rural Development (RD) in getting started in development a wildlife conversation program and obtaining Rural Development opportunities. Many of the audience was elated about getting this done so I provided the much needed information on programs, and guided them to the USDA website for more information along with USDA officials in Washington, DC and their phone numbers that would help them.
However, many participants were confused about USDA programs because they change so often especially when a new political administration arrives at USDA and there ideas and polices don’t reflect past years or issues that the participants are having and to often this is the problem these Black and minority farmers face time in and time again. We all agreed that USDA could see another “Black Farmers Law-suite” in the near future if discrimination among these farmers continue to exist while inflation and recession tears through their land while making it even harder for these farmers to supply the nation food supply in America.
Therefore, thousands of these farmers won’t exist in 2024-30 and this will be the downfall of the Black and Minority farm land while the mortgage holders of these farms and its HEIRS will be force out of their homes. But the participants all agreed that they wouldn’t let this happen again and to them. One of the last comments of the day was from a educator from Fulton County, Georgia who spoke of common sense commerce and economics being the cornerstone and the positions that these underserved Black and Minority farmers should undertake as to rely on each other to accomplish this as a unit nationally.
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University Of Clemson, Dr. Robinson
South Carolina Department of Education, Ms. Mercela Villagra
National Veteran Agriculture Association (NVAA), Henry Jones .
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