Press Release
Fresh Future Farm (FFF) will sponsor the third SC Black Farmers Conference on Sunday, March 28th and Monday, March 29th, 2021. Hosted by the SC Black Farmers Coalition, this two-day conference will be held virtually and in-person. Registered participants will be entered into a lottery for one of thirty spots to attend in-person from the safety of their cars; reminiscent of a drive-in.
This year's conference theme “Drive into Justice” alludes to an era when Black people were excluded from many movie theaters in the 1950s, a time period where we also saw the narrowest economic chasm between Black and white people in the South. Open-air theatres or ‘drive-ins’ allowed more freedom to their patrons. Black land ownership and wealth have since been crippled by racism.
Despite mistreatment and land theft, we gather at a point in history when a Justice for Black Farmers Act is being introduced in Congress. We will address radical ways that we can sustain our foodways, reflecting and acting to protect our farms and inspire a new generation of growers and food entrepreneurs.
“Our 2021 Black farmers conference will be more radical and results oriented than ever before,” says Jenkins. “An equity audit based on coalition feedback and surveys of other SC Black farmers is the foundation of a robust conference that will be paired with a thorough schedule of trainings and certifications throughout the state. This plan of action gives us the tools and information we need to thrive. The keynote speakers are Reverend Heber Brown and Sha'Von Terrel of the Black Church Food Security Network based in Baltimore, MD with a network stretching down the southern coast. They will share how Black churches in South Carolina can support farmers as food sovereignty practitioners.
Registration opens on January 15, 2021 and a limited amount of scholarships will be available. The Coalition will work directly with partners to extend invitations to Black farmers, churches, students and learning institutions throughout the Palmetto State.
Contact info@scblackfarmers.com for more information about sponsorship opportunities, scholarships and the Black farmer survey.
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About the SC Black Farmers Coalition
The SC Black Farmer Coalition is a membership organization, advocating for public policies and practices that support Black farm training, land availability, land trusts, food hubs, and similar work that mitigates discrimination faced by historically marginalized Black farmers.
For more information about the SC Black Farmers Coalition, please visit www.scblackfarmers.com
About the Black Church Food Security Network
The Black Church Food Security Network is on a mission to organize the strength and focus the assets of the Black Church toward advancing health (physical and spiritual), economic opportunity and self-determination in the African American community. BCFSN utilizes an asset-based approach in organizing and linking the vast resources of historically African American congregations in rural and urban communities to advancing food and land sovereignty.
For more information about the Black Church Food Security Network, please visit https://blackchurchfoodsecurity.net/
