Seed2Fork seeks to share critical historical context regarding the significant land loss experienced by Black American farmers throughout the 20th century. Research indicates that nearly 90% of Black-owned farmland—totaling over 12 million acres—was lost during this period. This decline was largely driven by systemic racism and discriminatory practices within the USDA, rather than by market forces.

 

Black families were systematically stripped of their wealth through the denial of loans, credit, and disaster relief, which frequently led to foreclosure. Furthermore, the legal complexities surrounding heirs’ property often left families vulnerable to forced partition sales and land theft. This economic exclusion was compounded by instances of violence and intimidation used to forcibly remove families from their land.

 

Today, Black farmers own less than 1% of U.S. farmland. This history of dispossession remains a stark reminder of how systemic barriers have shaped the economic landscape and prevented generations of families from building long-term security. Understanding this history is essential to ongoing discussions regarding Black farming in Washington State and to identifying ways we can address these historical inequities through our current work.