Illinois small farmers are advocating for the next farm bill to secure investments that will reduce economic and racial disparities, enhance resilience to climate change, and improve food access. Meeting with members of Congress, farmers express that their requests are straightforward and essential. Significant attention is placed on the Justice for Black Farmers Act, highlighting challenges faced by farmers of color. This initiative comes after the previous farm bill expired, marking a critical moment for policy changes that support small-scale, minority, and sustainable farming efforts.
"Nothing that we're asking for is impossible or out of the ordinary at all," said Natasha Nicholes, founder and executive director of the We Sow We Grow Project, an urban farm in Chicago's West Pullman neighborhood.
"I was probably the first in Knox County to do it," said Medley, founder of Greenlords Pharms. "Definitely in town." He thinks he also might be the only Black farmer in Galesburg, possibly even in the county.
One of the proposed bills focuses on a key issue high up on his list: the Justice for Black Farmers Act. The agricultural landscape can sometimes be isolating - and unfair - for farmers of color, he explained.
While attending to his crops one early morning in 2019, police cars swarmed him after someone called in to say he was trespassing. One of the officers asked if he was growing marijuana.
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