Barbara James Norman, a blueberry farmer and lifelong advocate for Midwestern farmers of color, talks with Young Farmers Grassroots Manager Faith Shaeffer about her decades of organizing her community in Covert, Michigan and the greater Midwest. Barbara discusses her work fighting for access to USDA programs for farmers of color and facilitating intergenerational community building, using her own farm as a hub for building connections between farmers and the resources available to them. She tells the story of how she went from being physically locked out of access to USDA offices near her, to serving on some of the highest leadership positions for farmers at the Agency. We also hear from Senator Tina Smith of Michigan and Congressman Antonio Delgado (NY-19) about how Young Farmers influence their work in Congress. We close this episode with a conversation between Young Farmers Co-Executive Director Sophie Ackoff and Federal Policy Director Vanessa Garcia Polanco about how hearing your stories led to a huge win in COVID relief bills for young farmers and farmers of color. Edited by Hannah Beal.
Barbara James Norman, a blueberry farmer and lifelong advocate for Midwestern farmers of color, talks with Young Farmers Grassroots Manager Faith Shaeffer about her decades of organizing her community in Covert, Michigan and the greater Midwest. Barbara discusses her work fighting for access to USDA programs for farmers of color and facilitating intergenerational community building, using her own farm as a hub for building connections between farmers and the resources available to them. She tells the story of how she went from being physically locked out of access to USDA offices near her, to serving on some of the highest leadership positions for farmers at the Agency.
We also hear from Senator Tina Smith of Michigan and Congressman Antonio Delgado (NY-19) about how Young Farmers influence their work in Congress. We close this episode with a conversation between Young Farmers Co-Executive Director Sophie Ackoff and Federal Policy Director Vanessa Garcia Polanco about how hearing your stories led to a huge win in COVID relief bills for young farmers and farmers of color.
Edited by Hannah Beal.
About Barbara:
Barbara has served on USDA Secretary of Agriculture Vilack’s advisory council during the Obama administration, the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Advisory Council, and many local Michigan organizations. Barbara was named a North Central Region SARE Hero for her leadership in sustainable agriculture among farmers of color in the region. She is a fourth generation blueberry farmer in Covert, Michigan, where she also hosts an annual Friends and Family Farm Field Day which has brought together thousands of farmers, service providers, and community members over its 17 years.