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West Michigan farmers work to secure land for beginning farmers of color, expanding land justice efforts

Farmers pick crops at Soul Fire Farm in New York state. It's run by Leah Penniman, a farmer and activist working to diversify the farming community and reconnect people to their food.
Courtesy of Capers Rumph
Farmers pick crops at Soul Fire Farm in New York state. It's run by Leah Penniman, a farmer and activist working to diversify the farming community and reconnect people to their food.

The West Michigan Farmers of Color Land Fund has a fundraising goal of $50,000, which will be used to support Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) farmers in purchasing or maintaining land ownership.

Land Access is among the top challenges facing farmers of color across the country. The West Michigan Farmers of Color Land Fund is hoping to create change on the local level. The project has a fundraising goal of $50,000, which will be used to support Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) farmers in purchasing or keeping land ownership.

The goal is to increase opportunities to enter the industry for people of color who have been systemically pushed out over generations, as well as support local growers that experience difficulties maintaining or scaling their operations due to systemic barriers. President of the fund, Alita Kelly told WGVU, the overall mission goes much further.

“It’s about creating a network of people who have similar goals and bonding together and finding safety in being able to share each other's experiences with one another, resources we come across together and really building this family," she explained.

The project is still in its fundraising phase. Kelly says once it hits $50,000, the group will open applications to local farmers.

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