By: Anna Gilbert-Muhammed, NOFA/Mass Food Equity Director

Dr. Booker T. Whatley was named “The Guru” by many farmers that he helped in the 1960s and 70s.  Dr. Whately reviewed efficient farm business practices that he implemented with many Black farmers in the South.  Many of these farmers had limited resources and these business practices allowed them to grow in spite of the difficult farming conditions worsened by racism.  The idea of becoming efficient and profitable is the core of his book, “How to make $100,000 Farming 25 acres”.

This book provides details on his 10 Commandments of Farming, a book for farmers to learn ways to minimize unnecessary costs, limit farm waste, and increase income with smart crop planning.  Listed below are the 10 commandments:

Thy small farm shalt:

1. Provide year-round, daily cash flow.
2. Be a pick-your-own operation.
3. Have a guaranteed market with a Clientele Membership Club.
4. Provide year-round, full-time employment.
5. Be located on a hard-surfaced road within a radius of 40 miles of a population center of at least 50,000, with well-drained soil and an excellent source of water.
6. Produce only what their clients demand—and nothing else!
7. Shun middlemen and middlewomen like the plague, for they are a curse upon thee.
8. Consist of compatible, complementary crop components that earn a minimum of $3,000 per acre annually.
9. Be ‘weatherproof’, at least as far as possible with both drip and sprinkler irrigation.
10. Be covered by a minimum of $250,000 worth ($1 million is better) of liability insurance.

Considered the original “Lean Farmer”, Dr. Whateley left an impressive legacy and body of work for farmers to use to grow their farm businesses.  It doesn’t matter if it is a quarter of an acre or 25 acres, his information is transferable to any space.

The pick and pay model pioneered by Dr. Booker T. Whatley allowed many Black farmers to grow and stay in business. A new program at NOFA/Mass offers a variation on Whatley’s model: The NOFA/Mass Solidarity Farm Share Program, sponsored through a grant from MDAR (Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources) matches BIPOC farmers with communities across Massachusetts that suffer from food apartheid and limited access to healthier food.  One of the desired outcomes of the program is that the BIPOC farmers will build a larger member base to reach more families.  Additionally, the families that participate will have access to healthier foods, and in the second year those households can continue that access though using SNAP and the Healthy Initiative Program.  The pilot program begins in 2023 and will cover The Berkshires, Springfield/Indian Orchard, Worcester and Dorchester.