Continuing the Celebration of Black History: Amplifying the Voices of Black Food Producers in Chicago
Continuing the Celebration of
Black History
In celebration of Black History Month, Chicago Food Policy Action Council and Community Food Navigator joined forces to hear stories from Black farmers and food producers across the Chicagoland area. These notable stories are a glimpse into the stark realities of our food system. We aim to honor these stories and inspire collective action towards creating an equitable, sustainable, and just food system.
Our dedication to supporting Black people in food and agriculture extends beyond merely acknowledging their contributions during a particular month. It is an ongoing part of our organizational efforts.
Tell us about your journey into farming and/or food production…
Frozen food manufacturer, Javon Nicholas, tells us after her family migrated from Mississippi to the Southside of Chicago they had a garden on the side of the house where they would grow Collards amongst other vegetables. She recalls picking greens from the garden every Sunday morning after church knowing that this joint effort was the starting point of what would result as an incredible dinner with family and friends. Years later Javon Nicholas would turn her curiosity and love for food into a business, Egg Rolls Etc.
Kenya Vera-Sample, owner of DuSable City Ancestral Winery shares that growing up two things that were a big part of her family culture, nature and education as her family were primarily educators while her dad is a fisherman. As a young woman she wanted to be on boats with Greenpeace protecting whales, because of her father and how he taught her to connect to nature. Her grandfather was known in the Morgan Park community for having gardens, and hunting rabbits. In 2008, Kenya would start exploring urban farming as a tool to teach her own kids about the value of land.
Michael Howard, the CEO of Eden Place Farms in Chicago’s Fuller Park neighborhood, shares his story of farming since a youth. “ I picked a lot of cotton in my youth…my family has always grown some type of food”, Howard says after recalling his familial ties with coming from a long line of sharecroppers. Eden Place Farms was established out of necessity so that residents could have access to a source of fresh produce.
Urban farmer, Steve Archer II, shares his introduction to agriculture. At the age of eleven Archer recalls his father sharing stories with him about his great uncle's farm in Michigan. The stories stuck with him and would come to fruition later in life right here in Chicago, where his family property was torn down and sat vacant for 20 years until Archer activated this land post Covid turning it into what we know today as, Archer Urban Farms Initiative LLC.
What are some nuances or barriers that have been consistent throughout your journey and how can these barriers can be addressed?
Steve was fortunate enough to receive grant funding from Advocates for Urban Agriculture that covered a substantial amount of start-up costs associated with developing the vacant lot. However, he is aware of the systematic barriers his peers in this work face. Archer uses his educator background to shed light on the history of theft in America, which extracts and exploits resources from neighborhoods only to create systematic structures that limit accessibility resulting in community needs being unmet unless they possess strong political influence. In order to overcome the cycle of Black producers sharecropping on land they once owned we must educate ourselves and build seed networks to foster supportive social exchange within our communities. Archer notes that breaking down barriers is an intentional act of building bridges not fences.
Kenya hopes to see Black farmers have more accessibility to land. Increasing Black land ownership will positively impact the diversity within the system.
For Michael the consistent barrier for his operation has been accessing capital. Mr. Howard shares a devastating story of not being able to get his roof fixed at a time when food infrastructure sites were desperately needed. During the time of the pandemic the roof of Eden Place’s facility needed repair. Howard was awarded a reimbursement grant but was in need of a bridge loan or other financial capital to cover the costs of repairs. His immediate response was to contact the mortgage lender he financed the property through in hopes that they would protect their own assets. Unfortunately, they denied his request and the reimbursement grant was forfeited leaving him to find alternative ways to patch his roof until he secures enough funds. He is still actively working to save enough to overcome this roadblock. Howard believes urban banks need to expand their portfolio to be inclusive for urban agriculture businesses as this is a growing market that has significant economic potential.
Javon shares a similar sentiment around generating starting capital. She believes that Black agri-foodpreneurs need to educate themselves and enter spaces with openness to connect with others. Beyond education, having a diverse network can lend you to having more opportunities that you did not foresee. Lastly, Javon shares that utilizing government agencies to garner awareness about tools, resources, and programs that are specifically aimed at supporting marginalized communities is a great way to mitigate barriers while holding agency’s accountable.
An equitable food system is…
“Local! We have the ability to grow year round in Chicago but we lack infrastructure.”
“Being conscious about producer to consumer supply chain, workers rights, brand standards, product accessibility.”
What are some highlights or key accomplishments within your work and what do you hope to achieve with sharing your story?
Alongside being awarded the 2024 Veteran Farmer of the Year Award, Steve has gained the attention and support of 6th Ward Alderman, William Hall, who is Archer’s new advocate. This season Archer plans to introduce chickens into his urban farming operation, scale up beekeeping, and provide the community with educational workshops giving them a sense of self resilience while addressing the immediate needs of the food apartheid plaguing Black communities.
Kenya shares, the success of any system, the success of all systems, are based upon its increased diversity, That is how she lives her life. If I want to see if a system is successful then I am going to look at its diversity. That all systems if they really want to be successful they need to rely on diversity.
Michael highlights the USDA for supporting the establishment of the farm in addition to a big quilt of supporters, friends, and private institutions.
Javon also highlights the USDA and other state/city agencies for the resources available to aid in developing her business. She wishes to empower Blacks in the food industry specifically, consumer packaged goods space to engage in incubator programs and legitimize their business early on so they are ready when opportunities arise.
We hope to highlight and support Black farmers and food producers year round. If you have questions, suggestions, or concerns with our work, would like to schedule a meeting or be considered for inclusion in a future newsletter, please reach out to Chicago Food Policy Action Council (CFPAC) staff, British Griffis, british@chicagofoodpolicy.com or Community Food Navigator staff, Israel Munoz, israel@communityfoodnavigator.org.