BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Task Force 'digs in' to land access challenges for black farmers
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
It is time to talk a little farming this morning on a more intimate scale. We received some answers regarding agricultural land equity in Kern County. Joining us in Studio B this morning is Evelyn Young with Amore Backyard Farms. Thank you for coming in. Thank you for having me. Appreciate it. First of all, let's begin. What is the purpose of the task force that is hosting a listening session tomorrow?
The purpose of the task force is the California Agricultural Land Equity Task Force, which is a mouthful, but they're hosting community engagement sessions all across the state to hear the voices of small farmers.
Farmers who have challenges and barriers to land access so they wanna hear the voice of the community as they develop their policies that they'll recommend to the legislature and the governor in January. -- That was a mouthful -- and what are some of the challenges?
Access to land, uh, limited resources, and across the country.
In our nation, black farmers have lost 90% of their farmland over the last century, and about a million black farmers have disappeared, and so we are losing um our agricultural heritage across the country. So we're looking at what the reasons are behind that, so discriminatory policies, um, under-resourced, and lack of information.
And now what is the first step toward trying to turn that around? You mentioned that several different gardens have been going in, uh, locally. -- The Compassion Garden -- on 4th and High Street.
It used to be called the Seeds of Inspiration. And so Compassion Community Garden. I'm trying to create an agrihood here in Bakersfield where we have the community gardens, backyard gardens, balcony, um, vertical growing.
Etc. Every community should be able to grow food, grow relationships, and grow a community, you know, in their neighborhood.
But isn't that concept, it's, it's gaining popularity?
Absolutely. There is an upsurge in small-scale farming, urban farming, and homesteading across the nation, and particularly, well, particularly everywhere, but you know, you see it here in the Central Valley.
So we have the community garden here, Compassion Community Garden here. There's already an existing Grace Community garden on uh in the Baker Street area, and we have the Greenfield Walking Group Community garden.
Uh, on the South H area that's been here for over a decade, and another one is coming. Another one coming is the Martin Luther King Junior Community Garden that will be on MLK Junior Boulevard and Ralston Street. We're gonna break ground on that in September.
And what kind of reaction do you get when these open up, and people in the community start coming by and seeing all of this?
They are so thankful, so excited. It's so grateful to have, uh, number one, the space, uh, revitalized again and beautified. So if you drive by Compassion Community Garden, it's a beautiful space. So we've elevated, um, the atmosphere there. Bakersfield High School social ecology students painted a 64-foot-wide mural there, and the men of Tommy.
Legacy built our raised beds so it's pulling communities together, uh, -- agencies together to create something beautiful -- and tomorrow's session is where and at what time?
It is at Compassion Christian Church at 1034 4th Street here -- in Bakersfield from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Evelyn Young, thank you for coming in. I appreciate it this morning. Thank you. You keep growing. Absolutely. Let's grow together.
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