By Patrick Brown and Jasmine Gibson
Nature For Justice’s Farmer Inclusion team is passionately committed to advancing regenerative agriculture, a transformative approach that not only fosters healthier soils but also minimizes input costs and enhances the resilience of farming systems against extreme and erratic weather conditions, as well as the broader impacts of climate change. Our strategy is grounded in a comprehensive multi-step approach that emphasizes co-creation and shared risk among farmers. We anticipate that scaling our initiatives will rely heavily on private sector investors recognizing the immense value of our bridge financing model, which effectively reduces both financial and ecological risks while ensuring competitive returns. This model ultimately aims to lessen our dependence on continual philanthropic support.
To date, in North Carolina, we have successfully engaged over 125 farmers who manage more than 7,000 acres dedicated to regenerative agriculture. This milestone has been achieved through the disbursement of over $1 million to these farmers, with an additional $2.5 million forecasted for distribution by 2025. We are also preparing to expand our initiatives into Virginia, with ambitious plans to extend our positive impact throughout the Southeast and Midwest.
The Ask:
- Expand the Bridge Financing Pool: We aim to enable more farmers to adopt regenerative farming practices through increased funding.
- Establish a Private Sector Fund for BIPOC Farmers: This initiative will build on the foundational work of Nature For Justice (N4J) to accelerate the geographic expansion and acceptance of regenerative practices among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color farmers.
The N4J Approach:
N4J is diligently working on a scalable model tailored for BIPOC farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture. While our efforts have largely been supported through grants from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and private entities such as the Walmart Foundation, Cargill, and Patagonia, we are now in the process of showcasing a robust business model capable of drawing substantial private debt financing. This will allow us to scale the solutions and demonstration projects fostered by earlier grant funding.
Key Stages of Scaling:
1. Identify Key Influencers: We focus on engaging influential figures in the agricultural community, exemplified by Patrick, a fourth-generation Black farmer. He is deeply grounded in his family’s legacy and is dedicated to training the next generation on the Brown Family Farm in Warren County, NC. His familial history, rooted in slavery on the land, enhances his motivation and commitment to regenerative farming, thus positioning him as a crucial resource for other farmers in the region. (Also see End Note)
2. Attract Interested Farmers: Our outreach efforts target farmers eager to initiate or expand regenerative practices. The farming community operates on principles of cooperation and shared knowledge, making it vital to identify those who are enthusiastic about improving their farm management and operational profitability.
3. Provide Catalytic Funding: We assist farmers in navigating funding opportunities. This includes identifying lesser-known sources of funding and providing early-stage capital for initial investments—like seed purchases—with farmers contributing their labor and equipment in return.
4. Structure Funding for Compliance: N4J has successfully secured grants and low-interest loans specifically designed to aid Black farmers in implementing regenerative agriculture practices. Our organization enters direct contracts with participating farmers and facilitates access to USDA funding. Notably, we disburse only a portion of the funds upfront, ensuring that we observe tangible progress before releasing the remaining amounts.
5. Create Learning Hubs: We develop geographic hubs where farmers can engage in ongoing training and information exchange. These learning exchanges are expansive, covering agricultural practices, marketing strategies, and even public speaking techniques. Hub Leaders are responsible for engaging with farmers, conducting monthly meetings, and contributing to the N4J Farmer Inclusion newsletter with relevant metrics and stories.
6. Verify and Collect Data: We are establishing a data-driven business model to showcase the financial and ecological health of our farmers. Partnering with The Soil Inventory Project (TSIP), we undertake soil sampling to assess changes in carbon levels. The integration of innovative technologies empowers farmers to collect valuable data that supports the adoption of regenerative practices.
7. Scale through Private Sector Funding: The reality is that philanthropic funding that acts as bridge financing to demonstrate the capabilities of BIPOC farmers will only take us so far: It has enabled us to build a model that shows the potential to impact thousands of farmers and millions of acres of farmland, but scale will only come through private sector investment that can support many more small-scale farmers to adopt regenerative practices and to participate in government-supported programs. What does the private sector want to see? Reduced risk and competitive returns, qualified individuals at the farm level, and an opportunity to invest large amounts of capital as the cost of creating an investment platform is not significantly different between 1,000 and 10,000 farmers.
As described in steps 1-6 above, we have the model in place:
- Enabling farmers to easily opt-in to the program;
- Co-creating regenerative agriculture practices that are fit-to-purpose for an individual farm;
- Collecting data that shows measurable improvements in soil health and economic performance; and
- Building a business case with empirical data that can attract private capital because we can demonstrate lower risk and meaningful returns on capital.
Impacts: To date, we have positively impacted over 125 farmers in North Carolina, together managing over 7,000 acres under regenerative practices. With over $1 million disbursed and an anticipated $2.5 million in 2025, we are well-positioned for further expansion into Virginia and potentially beyond.
Join us in our transformative journey to expand our impact. For more information, please feel free to contact Patrick at PBrown@Nature4Justice.Org or Sunny Bain at SBain@Nature4Justice.Org.
END NOTE
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides loans, grants, and other assistance to farmers. But the USDA has a documented history of discrimination against Black farmers as many were denied loans or received delayed funding, leaving them unable to compete or sustain their farms. This systemic bias led to lawsuits, including the landmark Pigford v. Glickman case, which exposed how Black farmers were systematically excluded from access to credit and resources. One result of this context is that Black farmers have experienced significant land loss over the 20th century, often due to lack of access to legal and financial resources. This made it harder for them to secure loans, as land is often used as collateral. By 2022, Black farmers represented less than 2% of all U.S. farmers, a stark decline from their peak of 14% in 1920. The loss of land reduced their economic and political influence. The systemic discrimination Black farmers have faced in accessing funding and resources has compounded over generations, creating significant disparities compared to non-minority farmers.
Authors
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Patrick Brown has extensive and deep experience in agriculture and the U.S. government. This experience encompasses 30 years of farming and 10 years as the Owner and Operator of Brown Family Farms in Warren County, NC. He is the 4th generation to farm their land and he is training the 5th generation. In addition, Patrick worked for 16 years in the federal government, including 13 years in various management roles.
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In her role as Farmer Engagement Coordinator, Jasmine Gibson uses her academia background in Agricultural Engineering and Horticultural Science to close knowledge-sharing and resource gaps for BIPOC farmers in North Carolina.
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