{"id":59679,"date":"2024-12-04T01:00:48","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T09:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/?p=59679"},"modified":"2025-01-29T06:50:16","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T14:50:16","slug":"a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/","title":{"rendered":"A Black-Led Agricultural Community Takes Shape in&nbsp;Maryland"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/div><div class=\"post-simple post-capital-letter\"><p> Since 2012, Gail Taylor has built healthy soil, provided hundreds of local families with fresh tomatoes and turnips, and fostered community on less than an acre at Three Part Harmony Farm in northeast Washington, D.C. Along the way, she\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/09\/26\/the-woman-leading-the-way-for-urban-farming-in-the-nations-capital\/\">blazed a trail and spearheaded legislation<\/a> to enable other urban farmers in D.C. to follow. <\/p><\/div><div class=\"post-simple\">\n<p>And she\u2019s done it all with a sense that\u2014at any moment\u2014it could all be over.\u00a0Because with farm leases that only cover up to three years at a time, the threat of the landlord selling out to a pricey condo developer has hung over every kale and garlic harvest.<\/p>\n<div class=\"pulled-sidebar pulled-sidebar-right\"><div class=\"pulled-sidebar-title\">Planting the Seeds of Justice<\/div><p>This article is part of our ongoing series, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/climate-equity\">Planting the Seeds of Justice<\/a>, in which we focus on the connections between climate, health, soil health, and equity for farmers of color.<\/p>\n<p>Read all the stories in this series:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/\">A Black-Led Agricultural Community Takes Shape in Maryland<\/a><br \/>\nAn urban farm trailblazer begins building a Black agrarian corridor in rural Maryland, fostering community and climate resilience. Land access was the first step.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/17\/farmers-sow-rice-and-reconciliation\/\">Southern Black Farmers Sow Rice and Reconciliation<\/a><br \/>\nJubilee Justice grows rice regeneratively while reclaiming the past.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/29\/op-ed-black-producers-have-farmed-sustainably-in-kansas-for-generations-lets-not-erase-our-progress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/civileats.com\/2025\/01\/29\/op-ed-black-producers-have-farmed-sustainably-in-kansas-for-generations-lets-not-erase-our-progress\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1738248441860000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1hkEjzIQ1cGyr4_qAHsxRJ\">Op-ed: Black Producers Have Farmed Sustainably in Kansas for Generations. Let\u2019s Not Erase Our Progress.<\/a><br \/>\nIncreased support for Black farmers from Congress\u2014not less\u2014will help US agriculture become more resilient as our climate changes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Unfortunately, the scenario is a common one.<\/p>\n<p>Surveys of young farmers running operations like hers have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youngfarmers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/NYFC-Report-2017.pdf\">consistently found<\/a> that farmers rank access to stable, affordable land as a top <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2021\/12\/15\/op-ed-young-farmers-are-locked-out-of-the-system-and-the-asset-economy-is-to-blame\/\">challenge<\/a>. For Black, Indigenous, and other farmers of color, it\u2019s an even more formidable barrier. And access to capital is right up there alongside\u2014and intimately tied to\u2014land access.<\/p>\n<p>For more than a decade, <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2022\/11\/28\/young-farmers-are-growing-food-for-climate-action-and-racial-justice\/\">those challenges<\/a> have plagued <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2015\/12\/29\/for-young-farmers-big-questions-surface-at-national-gathering\/\">the movement to energize and equip<\/a> a new generation of farmers inspired to contribute to climate resilience and healthy, equitable communities. Adding urgency to it all <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/04\/12\/ag-census-despite-many-challenges-the-u-s-has-more-young-farmers-than-it-did-five-years-ago\/\">is the fact that<\/a> the average age of the American farmer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nass.usda.gov\/Publications\/AgCensus\/2022\/Full_Report\/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_US\/st99_1_052_052.pdf\">keeps creeping up<\/a> toward 60.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2016\/11\/22\/we-need-young-farmers-and-colleges-can-help\/\">told us<\/a> that the average age of the farmer was getting higher, and we needed to go back to the land so that we could feed people. So, that&#8217;s what we did. We learned how to do our job. We got dirty. We fed our community. But as I was owning the business, I started to reach roadblocks,\u201d Taylor said in September, during a tour of the new farm she is establishing with her partner, D\u2019Real Graham.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-quote\"><p>\u201cPeople told us that the average age of the farmer was getting higher, and we needed to go back to the land so that we could feed people. So, that\u2019s what we did.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Some of those roadblocks have finally been cleared from the path, and Spice Creek Farm, on 24 rolling acres about 25 miles southeast of D.C., is the realization of more than 15 years of work. Now, Taylor\u2019s perspective is shifting toward a long, grounded future on land of their own, where she\u2019ll expand her vegetable operation while Graham raises chickens for both eggs and meat.<\/p>\n<p>Just down the street, the couple\u2019s friends and collaborators run <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeprootsfarm.us\/\">Deep Roots Farm<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.junipersgarden.org\/\">Juniper\u2019s Garden<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.earthboundbuilding.com\/\">Earth-Bound Building<\/a>, which builds farm structures and was born out of the <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2020\/09\/10\/the-peoples-agroecology-process-brings-a-global-lens-to-u-s-food-justice-work\/\">Black Dirt Farm Collective<\/a>. \u201cWe call it the Black Agrarian Corridor because we&#8217;re trying to bring more Black farmers back to this area,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cWe really want this to be a hub where people can come and we can support each other in all the ways that are necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Creative, Collaborative Financing<\/h4>\n<\/div><div class=\"post-simple post-capital-letter\"><p> Without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dirtpartners.com\/\">Dirt Capital Partners<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodcap.org\/\">Foodshed Capital<\/a>, this next chapter might not have been possible. The lenders that supported Spice Creek Farm are two of a number of alternative farm finance organizations that have <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2017\/08\/15\/can-big-money-fix-a-broken-food-system\/\">sprung up<\/a> over the last few decades to support the long-term success of small, regenerative farms.\u00a0Each\u2014from <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/10\/02\/with-100-you-too-can-invest-in-regenerative-agriculture\/\">Steward<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2018\/09\/18\/can-an-investment-firm-help-increase-u-s-organic-farmland\/\">Iroquois Valley<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/rsfsocialfinance.org\/about-us\/\">RSF Social Finance<\/a>\u2014uses a different approach to give a leg up to farmers who might not otherwise qualify for financing. <\/p><\/div><div class=\"post-simple\">\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><div class=\"row\"><section class=\"col-xs-12 post-single-gallery\"><div class=\"post-image-caption post-image-caption-view2\"><div class=\"post-image-caption-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Three-Part-Harmony-Farm-in-November-resized-1.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Three-Part-Harmony-Farm-in-November-resized-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/DReal-and-Gail-at-Three-Part-Harmony-resized-1.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/DReal-and-Gail-at-Three-Part-Harmony-resized-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/div><div class=\"post-caption\"><p>Turnips from Three Part Harmony Farm (left). Gail Taylor and D&#8217;Real Graham at Three Part Harmony Farm, their one-acre farm in Washington, D.C. They are now expanding to a bigger farm in Maryland called Spice Creek Farm. (Photo credit: Lisa Held)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/section><\/div><div class=\"row\"><section class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-9 post-single-left\"><div class=\"post-simple\">\n<p>Still, it&#8217;s a bumpy farm road ahead: no smooth pavement, with deep potholes to navigate around and animals running in front of the tractor. The soil is dead, new markets need to be developed, and for now, she\u2019s planning on continuing to run Three Part Harmony, which will involve a lot of driving back and forth. At the same time, she\u2019s transitioning the D.C. farm to a nonprofit and hopes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=D9AFTA9B55TLQ\">donations<\/a> will eventually allow her step away from the day-to-day there.<\/p>\n<p>If Taylor, Graham, and the neighboring farmers can create a resilient, Black-led agricultural community as <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2023\/03\/20\/the-ipccs-latest-climate-report-is-a-final-alarm-for-food-systems-too\/\">the planet burns<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2023\/feb\/24\/ecosystem-collapse-wildlife-losses-permian-triassic-mass-extinction-study\">biodiversity plummets<\/a>, and the larger food system continues to become increasingly industrialized and commodified, they will have charted a course for others to follow.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor those of us who call ourselves <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2019\/11\/27\/a-new-generation-of-black-farmers-is-returning-to-the-land\/\">the \u2018return generation,\u2019<\/a> I feel like the only way that the ancestors are not laughing at us is if we can be honest with ourselves,\u201d Taylor says. In her family, agriculture skipped a generation after her great-grandfather moved north during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/topics\/black-history\/great-migration\">Great Migration<\/a> to escape violence in Mississippi and find work. \u201cThe market forces were pressuring them to get out of this work that we all love so deeply. And so the only way that we are going to make it any different is if we do it a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Moving to the Country<\/h4>\n<\/div><div class=\"post-simple post-capital-letter\"><p> This moment, Taylor and Graham said during the tour, is the \u201creimagining period\u201d for Spice Creek Farm. <\/p><\/div><div class=\"post-simple\">\n<p>In an old tobacco barn, Taylor looks at the stacks of sticks farmers used for a century of drying tobacco plants and sees tomato stakes. Ruby and Ivy, fluffy Bernese mountain puppies rolling around in the dirt between Graham\u2019s farm boots, will soon guard chickens from predators.<\/p>\n<p>But first, the soil will need to be brought back to life, having been worn out by decades of tobacco cultivation followed by commodity corn and soybean crops. Graham\u2019s chickens will help here. They\u2019ll diversify the farm\u2019s income streams and deposit their nutrient-dense manure across the landscape while pecking at the dirt, stimulating microbes with their beaks.<\/p>\n<p>One might suppose Taylor makes her lender nervous when she says it may be a few years before the land is ready to support vegetable growth, but Jacob Israelow, founder of Dirt Capital, is impressed with her knowledge and foresight.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-quote\"><p>The lenders that supported Spice Creek Farm are two of a number of alternative farm finance organizations that have sprung up over the last few decades to support the long-term success of small, regenerative farms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d imagine a lot of farmland investors want to see numbers on a spreadsheet about how to maximize yield from acreage,\u201d he says. Instead, Israelow and his team are playing the long game. \u201cGail is clearly envisioning her future on that property for the rest of her life. She&#8217;s not like, \u2018What can I do next year to maximize my revenue from it? She&#8217;s like, \u2018What do I need to do to build a relationship with this property so that we can nourish each other for the next several decades?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Taylor and Graham began the search for a permanent farm site in a more affordable ZIP code more than a year ago. On top of never knowing how long their land tenure would last in D.C., increasingly, their team was being priced out of living nearby. Taylor heard about Dirt Capital as a means to make the transition to land ownership and was immediately struck by how different the conversation was with them compared to other funders.<\/p>\n<p>For one thing, she said, the Dirt Capital team started by asking, \u201cHow much can you pay a month?\u201d They then used that number to design the financing around the land purchase. Taylor and Graham don\u2019t technically own the land\u2014yet. The way it works, Israelow explains, is that Dirt Capital first seeks out what he calls &#8220;exceptional land stewards.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of times they&#8217;re at that influx point of growth where they have that set of experience and their markets established and know what they&#8217;re doing, but they need that land security, need additional land to grow, or need a home farm to really secure a base,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Every project is also assessed based on its ability to deliver across <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dirtpartners.com\/impact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dirtpartners.com\/impact&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1734481195631000&amp;usg=AOvVaw28Y6pECxi23x6HvLVI22p6\">an impact framework<\/a> that includes interconnected factors like racial equity, soil health, and climate resilience. As the chickens and cover crops bring the soil back to life, for example, the land\u2019s capacity to hold carbon and consistently produce nutritious foods as the weather changes will increase.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-image-caption align-right\"><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/241204-black-farmers-gail-taylor-three-part-harmony-farming-maryland-community-2-dirt-capital-graphic.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/241204-black-farmers-gail-taylor-three-part-harmony-farming-maryland-community-2-dirt-capital-graphic.jpg\" alt=\"A table from the Dirt Capital ten-year impact report that reads: \"BIPOC FARMERS 6 Projects with goal of BIPOC farmer ownership 16% of all projects $8.1M Invested in projects with goal of BIPOC farmer ownership 25% of all allocated Dirt funds YOUNG FARMERS 19 Projects with farmer partners under the age of 40 at time of transaction 51% of all projects $15.7M Invested in these projects 47% of all allocated Dirt funds\"\"><\/a><div class=\"post-caption\"><p>(Chart courtesy of Dirt Capital&#8217;s 10-year impact report)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Dirt Capital buys the land and then leases it a monthly price the farmers know they can afford. The 10-year lease comes with two opportunities to purchase, at five and 10 years. Most importantly, Dirt Capital sets the price the farmers will pay at either of those points in the future based on their purchase price and a set, low appreciation rate. So, whether they make lease payments for five or 10 years, if the market value of the land is increasing (which it generally is), the farmers are building equity.<\/p>\n<p>The investment partnership just celebrated its <a href=\"https:\/\/docsend.com\/view\/psnsrttugnimy6zt\">10-year anniversary<\/a>, and by the end of the year expects to have completed 44 projects. Of those, nine farmers are now full owners of their land. These include organic, grass-fed dairy farmers who now own more than 300 acres in upstate New York and an immigrant family from Mexico who now owns their produce farm in New Jersey.<\/p>\n<p>The rest are mostly on their way to ownership. While a few farmers Dirt Capital worked with decided to hang up their hoes or their business went bankrupt, they haven\u2019t yet had a case where the farmers made it to the end of the 10-year term and couldn\u2019t transition to full ownership.<\/p>\n<p>All of it is funded by <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2017\/08\/15\/can-big-money-fix-a-broken-food-system\/\">impact investors<\/a>, a term for those who are willing to settle for minimal returns so their money can make a difference in the world. They pay Dirt Capital\u2019s fee, Israelow explained. His team works to explore other opportunities that can boost value for farmers, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservationeasement.us\/what-is-a-conservation-easement\/\">conservation easements<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/02\/14\/micro-solar-leases-a-new-income-stream-for-black-farmers-in-the-south\/\">community-scale solar<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;re investing in support of farmers, but we&#8217;re also taking money from them, right? So, every dollar we get from our farmers is a dollar less in their bank account,\u201d he said. While most lenders would try to maximize the money flowing their way, Dirt Capital aims in the other direction. \u201cPart of our goal is profitability and wealth-building for farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>What\u2019s on the Land?<\/h4>\n<\/div><div class=\"post-simple post-capital-letter\"><p> The Dirt Capital model may also serve farmers better than taking on a traditional farm mortgage, Israelow said, because without a ton of debt on the balance sheet, they may be better able to access financing for infrastructure. Because as every farmer knows, land is just the foundation. <\/p><\/div><div class=\"post-simple\">\n<p>\u201cOther farmers drool when they see this barn!\u201d Taylor told the tour participants as she stepped out of the rain into the property\u2019s second barn, already outfitted with a cement floor and electricity. Plastic-covered walk-in coolers ready to be unwrapped and filled with produce and poultry were stacked on pallets. Despite the equipment, the barn felt nearly empty, and Taylor pointed out that the extra space will allow them to bring in crops from their neighbors for cooperative distribution.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"post-image-caption align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Looking-out-from-inside-tobacco-barn-at-Spice-Creek-Farm-resized.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Looking-out-from-inside-tobacco-barn-at-Spice-Creek-Farm-resized.jpg\" alt=\"Looking out from inside tobacco barn at Spice Creek Farm with wooden rafters and a tractor\"><\/a><div class=\"post-caption\"><p>Inside the old tobacco barn at Spice Creek Farm. (Photo credit: Lisa Held)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"post-simple\">\n<p>The farm\u2019s many ready-to-use structures were one reason Taylor and Graham jumped at the opportunity to purchase this parcel. Crucially, there is a home for the couple to live in and another building that could be outfitted for worker housing.<\/p>\n<p>Often, farmers need money to create the most basic infrastructure before they can start planting, like digging a well or putting up a fence. Livestock can require more upfront capital compared to vegetables, so when Graham decided to get his poultry operation up and running, the couple turned to Foodshed Capital for help.<\/p>\n<p>Michael Reilly co-founded Foodshed Capital in Virginia in 2018. Since then, the nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution has loaned more than $4 million to farmers and food businesses who work with small, local farms. Nearly two-thirds of that money went to BIPOC farmers.<\/p>\n<p>Foodshed\u2019s loans are also uniquely structured to help farmers. They are either low- or zero-interest, and they are unsecured, meaning the organization doesn\u2019t ask for collateral. That means if a farmer defaults, Foodshed is on the hook, not the farmer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat we want to do is not just be providing capital but providing a different kind of capital that is not continuing to be extractive and onerous,\u201d Reilly said. \u201cIt\u2019s important for us as the lender to share the risk and let the farmer know that if something just doesn&#8217;t go right, as so often happens with farming, that we as their lender are not going to come after them.\u201d Because Foodshed does the work of getting to know the farmer before lending and works closely with them, he said, they\u2019ve only had a handful of cases (out of 138 projects) where they weren\u2019t paid back.<\/p>\n<p>Graham and Taylor borrowed $16,000 to get the poultry operation going, and when an unknown predator wiped out an entire flock last year (hence the puppies), they still paid it back. Now that they\u2019re settling in at Spice Creek Farm and are assessing what will be needed next, Reilly is ready and willing to lend to them again.<\/p>\n<p>Foodshed\u2019s partnership with Dirt Capital has been complementary because Foodshed doesn\u2019t provide loans to buy land. Often, Dirt Capital can help a farmer with the land purchase, and Foodshed can fund the projects that are needed to farm that land.<\/p>\n<p>At Dodo Farms, an organic vegetable farm 70 miles north of Spice Creek Farm, the farmers recently acquired 10.5 acres with the help of Dirt Capital. They got connected with Dirt Capital through Foodshed Capital, which had previously funded their purchase of a farm vehicle. Now that they\u2019ve found a permanent location, Foodshed is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodcap.org\/borrowers\/dodo-farms\">helping them fund<\/a> deer fencing and irrigation.<\/p>\n<h4>The Black Agrarian Corridor<\/h4>\n<\/div><div class=\"post-simple post-capital-letter\"><p> When Taylor and Graham were deciding whether to work with Dirt Capital, they paid a visit to Dodo Farms to hear about the farmers\u2019 experience. It\u2019s a small example of the \u201cintentional collaboration\u201d that has always guided her work, Taylor says, despite the fact that people often see her as standing alone in her field. <\/p><\/div><div class=\"post-simple\">\n<p>\u201cThis entire time that I&#8217;ve owned this farm, this has never been the only thing that I&#8217;ve done, and I\u2019ve never only farmed by myself,\u201d she said in November at Three Part Harmony farm, where beets and lettuces still thrived in tidy rows, despite the coming winter.<\/p>\n<p>That sentiment is guiding her next chapter in multiple ways. After recently registering the new nonprofit Three Part Harmony Center for Agriculture, Food, and Learning, she\u2019s hoping to be able to fundraise enough to hire a farm manager to run it. \u201cI always thought this place might live beyond me and take on a life of its own, which would be great,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Later that morning, Taylor and Graham were headed to one of their neighbors, Juniper\u2019s Garden, to start talking through the coming year. Graham said that 2025 would be a year of testing the waters of collaborative capacity building, joint distribution, and building a food community. Taylor\u2019s also thinking about how to make working the land more manageable as climate change causes temperatures to rise. For instance, she\u2019s looking into ways to minimize outdoor labor aside from harvesting during July and August, when Maryland\u2019s heat becomes dangerous. It\u2019s a lot for one farm couple to figure out, and it&#8217;s no coincidence that Spice Creek Farm abuts land that is already being worked by like-minded Black farmers. \u201cWe didn\u2019t look anywhere else,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n<p>Not only does she see a future of collaboration among the farmers in this corner of rural Maryland, she wants to feed the people who live here, too. \u201cA lot of people for the last couple of decades had this mentality of, \u2018Your customer base is in the city and the farms are in the country,\u2019\u201d she said. At Three Part Harmony, she defied that norm by feeding city residents with city-grown food. At Spice Creek, her vision is to rebuild a once-typical foodshed model that has become a rarity\u2014by feeding her rural neighbors food grown on nearby farms.<\/p>\n<p>Taylor doesn\u2019t relate to the word \u201csuccess,\u201d and she is skeptical of larger barriers being broken down for farmers like her, barring \u201ca complete, upside-down change to the entire capitalist economy.\u201d What drives her is a simple, long-term vision shared by millions of farmers who tilled this and other parcels of land before her. Now, that vision is rooted in soil she can steward while ensuring it won\u2019t be paved over anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe just want to be able to work hard and enjoy what we do,\u201d she says, looking at Graham. \u201cStep out of our door every day with our dogs and be at work right there in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class='ctx-module-container ctx_default_placement ctx-clearfix'><\/div><span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>And she\u2019s done it all with a sense that\u2014at any moment\u2014it could all be over.\u00a0Because with farm leases that only cover up to three years at a time, the threat of the landlord selling out to a pricey condo developer has hung over every kale and garlic harvest. Unfortunately, the scenario is a common one. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":740,"featured_media":59700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4479,521,43565,3266,287],"tags":[],"coauthors":[4440],"class_list":["post-59679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-farming","category-local-food","category-planting-the-seeds-of-justice","category-urban-agriculture","category-young-farmers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.6 (Yoast SEO v25.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Black-Led Agricultural Community Takes Shape in Maryland | Civil Eats<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An urban farm trailblazer begins building a Black agrarian corridor in rural Maryland. Land access was the first step.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Black-Led Agricultural Community Takes Shape in Maryland\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An urban farm trailblazer begins building a Black agrarian corridor in rural Maryland. Land access was the first step.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Civil Eats\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Civil-Eats\/56766540637\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-04T09:00:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-29T14:50:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gail-and-DReal-resized.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1199\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lisa Held\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"An urban farm trailblazer begins building a Black agrarian corridor in rural Maryland. Land access was the first step.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-Led-Agricultural-Community-X-Hed-thumbnail.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@lisaelaineh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@CivilEats\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lisa Held\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lisa Held\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/person\/981da1570dfae1a2f01ec1130cd7e919\"},\"headline\":\"A Black-Led Agricultural Community Takes Shape in&nbsp;Maryland\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-04T09:00:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-29T14:50:16+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/\"},\"wordCount\":2732,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gail-and-DReal-resized.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Farming\",\"Local Food\",\"Planting the Seeds of Justice\",\"Urban Agriculture\",\"Young Farmers\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/\",\"name\":\"A Black-Led Agricultural Community Takes Shape in Maryland | Civil Eats\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gail-and-DReal-resized.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-04T09:00:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-29T14:50:16+00:00\",\"description\":\"An urban farm trailblazer begins building a Black agrarian corridor in rural Maryland. Land access was the first step.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gail-and-DReal-resized.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gail-and-DReal-resized.jpg\",\"width\":1199,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"Gail Taylor and D'Real Graham on their new land, Spice Creek Farm, in Brandywine, Maryland in November 2024. (Photo credit: Tyler Grigsby)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Black-Led Agricultural Community Takes Shape in&nbsp;Maryland\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/\",\"name\":\"Civil Eats\",\"description\":\"Daily News and Commentary About the American Food System\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Civil Eats\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/logo.png\",\"width\":800,\"height\":455,\"caption\":\"Civil Eats\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Civil-Eats\/56766540637\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/CivilEats\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/civileats\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/person\/981da1570dfae1a2f01ec1130cd7e919\",\"name\":\"Lisa Held\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/8204deae4d67c26a0796254c65cb75a3\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/lisa-held-headshot-bw-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/lisa-held-headshot-bw-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Lisa Held\"},\"description\":\"Lisa Held is Civil Eats\u2019 senior staff reporter and contributing editor. Since 2015, she has reported on agriculture and the food system with an eye toward sustainability, equality, and health, and her stories have appeared in publications including The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Mother Jones. In the past, she covered health and wellness and was an editor at Well+Good. She is based in Baltimore and has a master's degree from Columbia University's School of Journalism.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/lisaelaineh\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Black-Led Agricultural Community Takes Shape in Maryland | Civil Eats","description":"An urban farm trailblazer begins building a Black agrarian corridor in rural Maryland. Land access was the first step.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Black-Led Agricultural Community Takes Shape in Maryland","og_description":"An urban farm trailblazer begins building a Black agrarian corridor in rural Maryland. Land access was the first step.","og_url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/","og_site_name":"Civil Eats","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Civil-Eats\/56766540637","article_published_time":"2024-12-04T09:00:48+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-01-29T14:50:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1199,"height":800,"url":"http:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gail-and-DReal-resized.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Lisa Held","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"An urban farm trailblazer begins building a Black agrarian corridor in rural Maryland. Land access was the first step.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-Led-Agricultural-Community-X-Hed-thumbnail.png","twitter_creator":"@lisaelaineh","twitter_site":"@CivilEats","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lisa Held","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/"},"author":{"name":"Lisa Held","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/person\/981da1570dfae1a2f01ec1130cd7e919"},"headline":"A Black-Led Agricultural Community Takes Shape in&nbsp;Maryland","datePublished":"2024-12-04T09:00:48+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-29T14:50:16+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/"},"wordCount":2732,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gail-and-DReal-resized.jpg","articleSection":["Farming","Local Food","Planting the Seeds of Justice","Urban Agriculture","Young Farmers"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/","url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/","name":"A Black-Led Agricultural Community Takes Shape in Maryland | Civil Eats","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gail-and-DReal-resized.jpg","datePublished":"2024-12-04T09:00:48+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-29T14:50:16+00:00","description":"An urban farm trailblazer begins building a Black agrarian corridor in rural Maryland. Land access was the first step.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gail-and-DReal-resized.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gail-and-DReal-resized.jpg","width":1199,"height":800,"caption":"Gail Taylor and D'Real Graham on their new land, Spice Creek Farm, in Brandywine, Maryland in November 2024. (Photo credit: Tyler Grigsby)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/2024\/12\/04\/a-black-led-agricultural-community-takes-shape-in-maryland\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Black-Led Agricultural Community Takes Shape in&nbsp;Maryland"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/","name":"Civil Eats","description":"Daily News and Commentary About the American Food System","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#organization","name":"Civil Eats","url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/logo.png","width":800,"height":455,"caption":"Civil Eats"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Civil-Eats\/56766540637","https:\/\/x.com\/CivilEats","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/civileats\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/person\/981da1570dfae1a2f01ec1130cd7e919","name":"Lisa Held","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/8204deae4d67c26a0796254c65cb75a3","url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/lisa-held-headshot-bw-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/lisa-held-headshot-bw-150x150.jpg","caption":"Lisa Held"},"description":"Lisa Held is Civil Eats\u2019 senior staff reporter and contributing editor. Since 2015, she has reported on agriculture and the food system with an eye toward sustainability, equality, and health, and her stories have appeared in publications including The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Mother Jones. In the past, she covered health and wellness and was an editor at Well+Good. She is based in Baltimore and has a master's degree from Columbia University's School of Journalism.","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/lisaelaineh"],"url":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/author\/lheld\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/740"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59679"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60962,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59679\/revisions\/60962"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59679"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civileats.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=59679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}