Latino farmers and ranchers found some mention of racism and social isolation and lack of a support network from agricultural organizations (Center for Rural Affairs, 2012).
Native and Indigenous North American Farmers. Relevant information about the 1.7% of native and indigenous North American farming producers, and about their stressors was difficult to locate. Data from 2020 on the mental health of this population in general, revealed that 19% reported having a mental illness in the previous year (Hellebuyck et al., 2019).
In this 9-minute video, titled: Thoughts of a Hopi Farmer, farmer Michael Kotutwa Johnson speaks about sustainability, stewardship, and sovereignty. He explains the importance of Hopi heirloom seeds and traditional farming practices.
VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ-tLq7yhk4
Black Farmers. According to the 2017 USDA Census, Black farm producers comprise less than 2% of agricultural producers. The history of Black farmers in the United States and their experiences with discrimination in general and specifically within agriculture and the USDA and land-grant universities, are well documented (Cowan & Feder, 2013; Nash, 2019; Kelly et al., 2021). Many left farming for other opportunities; many were excluded from loans for land and production resources. Some left due to the lack of clear title on land passed down to heirs. In one study, Black farmers without clear title to their land, experienced discrimination and marginalization that hindered their ability to gain title (Thompson, 2017). Furthermore, these Black farmers and farm families exper ienced “long lasting severe emotional strain and trauma reactions…” For many Black farm families and their heirs, the stressor of proof of ownership is just one more stressor. The term heir’s property describes this challenge.
To better understand the stressor of heirs’ property, a 22-minute video provides background and contemporary information. In August 2020, Vice News released their story titled: How Property Law is used to Appropriate Black Land. Sandra Thompson, EdD, Community Development Specialist, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, shares her work on the topic of heirs property as do several others interviewed for this video. Together they provide reasons for why Black farmers have difficulty establishing their ownership.
VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls3P_FicO7I
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