Food Justice Newsletter
This month, we celebrate the rich history, resilience, and stories of excellence amongst Black farmers.
By Najee Quashie
Reporting from Massachusetts
Pictured is George Washington Carver, an agricultural scientist, educator, and inventor who revolutionized Southern agriculture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Image source: Library of Congress
Slavery As the Driver of Agricultural & Economic Growth
In 1619, about 20-30 enslaved people—shackled and bonded—were brought to the colony of Virginia on a ship named the White Lion. Their purpose in the New World was to fill labor shortages and make European colonists profitable by working in the fields. They cultivated cash crops like tobacco, rice, sugar, and cotton. All the while being forced into a system of lifelong servitude, given little to no food, clothing, and shelter, beaten, branded, raped, and sold. Enslaved people were money-makers. They could work for free; they were subservient and uncivilized, so European colonists saw it as their destiny and right to use enslaved people as they wished.
Enslaved people were integral to every sector of the American economy, including agriculture, manufacturing and textiles, banking and finance, trade and commerce, infrastructure and transportation, Southern real estate and land wealth, and political and legal institutions. By the 1700s, tobacco exports were the economic backbone of colonies like Virginia and Maryland. In 1860, slave labor helped generate 75% of the world’s cotton, making the Mississippi River Valley home to the highest concentration of millionaires per capita in the United States. Sugar, also known as the White Gold of the South, drove trade in both goods and people, generated immense wealth for European nations, and, for the British in particular, helped finance their North American colonies. Rice, the Staple of the Lowcountry, was a significant good in South Carolina’s economy during the 19th century.
Black History is American History
This history is important to where we are in 2025 because Black history is American History. We cannot talk about agriculture without acknowledging the historical significance slave labor had on America’s economy, social stratosphere, and growth. Enslaved people had nothing but their sense of self. Today’s Black farmers share this identity in a transformational way, honoring their ancestors while creating a different narrative and legacy. They ask themselves: Are we who they made us ought to be, or can we shape the story? To shape a story assumes that people are free, have the knowledge and resources to do so, and are able to do so. Enslaved people could not tell their stories, but Black farmers can tell theirs.
Below, I highlight the incredible work of a few Black farmers in Massachusetts.
Tony Andrews Farm
Location: East Falmouth, MA
Owned by: Geoffrey Andrews
Years in Production: 90
Farm size: 40 acres
Specialized crops: a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and grains, including apples, strawberries, corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes. They also offer honey, maple products, eggs, flowers, Christmas trees, compost, and hay, creating a diverse selection for food and gardening needs.
How to Support: visit their farm and pick your own strawberries, participate in their annual activities, and buy their produce.
Story: Tony Andrews, who is Geoffrey Andrews’ father, came to Massachusetts in 1926. Initially working on cranberry bogs, Tony purchased land in Falmouth and became known as the “Strawberry King” with 45 acres of strawberries. Despite facing racial discrimination in Boston, where he was often underpaid or turned away at Chelsea Market, Tony turned adversity into opportunity by transitioning his farm to a successful pick-your-own operation. Today, Geoffrey runs the farm, a vital community food access hub.
Gardening the Community
Location: Springfield, MA
Interim Director: Elizabeth Willis-O’Gilvie
Years in Production: 23
Farm size: 1.5 acres
How to Support: make a one-time donation or give monthly, organize a house party or community fundraiser at Gardening the Community, donate items found here, or volunteer.
Story: Gardening the Community (GTC) is a food justice organization focused on youth development, urban agriculture, and sustainable living to build healthier, more equitable communities. Through a training program, youth from the Mason Square neighborhood grow fruits and vegetables on vacant lots, learning urban farming principles while receiving a stipend. The produce is sold locally, with no pesticides or herbicides used, and water conservation methods help reduce dependence on city water. At the heart of GTC’s mission is food justice, aiming to address local hunger, empower youth, and ensure access to healthy, affordable food for all.
Urban Farming Institute
Location: Mattapan, MA
Owned by: Bobby Walker and Nataka Crayton
Years in Production: 14
Farm size: 3 quarters of an acre
Specialized crops: okra, callaloo, and other cultural crops
How to Support: buy their merchandise, donate, sign up for one of their programs, or volunteer.
Story: Community activists Bobby Walker and Nataka Crayton lead the Urban Farming Institute (UFI), a farm on three-quarters of an acre that grows culturally significant crops like okra and callaloo. UFI serves as both a training ground and a community hub, teaching Black and brown residents the history and practice of farming while fostering local food access.
Fresh Meadows Farm
Location: Carver, MA
Owned by: Domingo Fernandes
Years in Production: 17
Specialized crops: organic cranberries
How to Support: buy cranberries (available in bulk)
Story: Fresh Meadows Farm grows heirloom cranberries, Early Black, and Howe, using traditional organic methods like flooding and sanding to manage pests and soil health. Established in 1945 by Cape Verdean immigrant John Alves, the farm remains family-run, preserving its historical ties to the Massachusetts cranberry industry. It primarily uses dry harvesting, a less common but higher-quality method, to maintain freshness. Unlike wet-harvested cranberries used for processing, Fresh Meadows harvests incrementally to deliver premium fresh and frozen fruit.
