Agraria_Journal_Summer_2022

AGRARIA JOURNAL 2022 11 because they had been doing this work for generations. When I saw the impact of this knowledge on those youth, I knew that this was the story that I had to tell. In the 1920s, approximately 14% of American farmers were Black or African American, mirroring the demographics of the general population. Today, while representing more than 12% of the general population, Black and African American farmers represent a mere 1.4% of all farmers. This small subset of farmers represent less than 0.5% of total U.S. farm sales. Food and agriculture is one of the top industries in Ohio, accounting for nearly one in seven jobs. And yet Black and African Americans are missing out on the potential offered by this sector as a path to sustainability through land stewardship, access to healthy food, and economic progress. For a group of folks who have historically been marginalized through work in the very same field, their relationship to agriculture is fraught with negative associations. We must work to mend the relationship between Black folks and the land. Without having all the answers, because none of us do, we must look for ways to do our part by creating inclusive and affirming spaces. Talking about the trauma. Decentering the majority experiences and showing up to listen. Listening to learn, not to fix, not to affirm, but to learn why the feelings are there. Then showing up to do the work of creating a container that holds the truth of that trauma and the history that came before it. The history that connects this community, my community, to its glory of collaborative land stewardship. Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer was on to something when she said, “Never to forget where we came from and always praise the bridges that carried us over.” Through my role as the newly appointed Pathways and Partnerships Strategist at The Ohio State University, it is my job to forge and grow partnerships and create pathways, across all life stages, for people to engage with the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. And, because of my own journey and experiences, I am passionate about collaborating to create inclusive spaces to re-engage disenfranchised populations. Years of learning and unlearning have helped to restore my relationship with agriculture, and now it is my honor, and responsibility, to help restore that relationship for others. Yolanda Owens is a mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and lover of things that are green. She is the Chief Cultivator of Forage + Black, a lifestyle brand at the intersection of Black culture and green thumbs. She was the first woman of color to serve as President of the Alumni Society at the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, where she now serves as the Pathways and Partnerships Strategist. YOLANDA OWENS Teens from the Godman Guild Association worked in the Weinland Community Garden in Columbus, Ohio. YOLANDA OWENS