Did you know that we have black horticulturist, agricultural professor and regenerative agriculture advocate Booker T. Whatley to thank for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?
Although the idea of Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) is often wrongly credited to others, Booker T. Whatley created the ‘clientele membership club’ framework to support struggling black American farmers and farming businesses as early as the 1960s.
The ‘clientele membership club’ concept was especially critical during this period when black farmers faced many financial and social systemic barriers that impacted business opportunity. Much like our modern CSA, Whatley’s ‘clientele membership club’ concept aimed to enable black farmers to “plan production, anticipate demand, and of course, have a guaranteed market.” This act of ingenuity enabled generations of black farmers to have thriving farm businesses and inspired generations to come on how to centre agriculture in community.
This Black History Month, we are thanking Mr. Booker T. Whatley – and all black farmers contributing to the vitality of our agricultural landscape!
We encourage our readers to learn more about the history of CSAs and legacy of Booker T. Whatley by reading this excellent article by Smithsonian Magazine.
We have assembled a curated list of resources, funding opportunities and community networks for new and established black and BIPOC farmers in Canada:
🌱 EFAO’s Farmers Network for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour
🌱 National Farmers Union’s BIPOC Caucus
🌱 Black Entrepreneurship Program
🌱 Black Opportunity Fund
🌱 Farming While Black
🌱 Soul Fire Farm BIPOC-Led Resources
We encourage the commitment to anti-racism work in support of a diverse agricultural future that honours and welcomes the important contributions of black farmers. Please join us in learning, reflecting and taking action on these key learnings:
🌱 Farmers for Climate Solutions Equity Framework
🌱 Dismantling Anti-Black Racism resource from Toronto Urban Growers
🌱 Working for Racial Justice in Farming: Panel Discussion Recording from EFAO
🌱 Young Farmers Racial Equity Toolkit from National Young Farmers Coalition (US)
🌱 Future Farmers: The Challenge of Food Sovereignty for Black Farmers in the Greater Toronto Area
📷Image credit: Cornell Cooperative Extension Suffolk County