As this year’s recipient of the Reg Weaver HCR Award, named for the iconic former NEA President known for fighting to eliminate economic and racial inequity, the MMFA supports farmers from marginalized groups to give them equal footing in the world of agribusiness.
Their community-based approach promotes access to home-grown nutritious food, promoting wellness amongst said groups. The goal of the MMFA is to create a long-term strategies for farmers of color to maintain and sustain their concerns, towards creating generational health, and wealth. Growing is power, economically, socially, and culturally.
Founded in 2013 by a small group of Black farmers, MMFA became a band of brothers and sisters committed to preserving the legacy of African American Agriculture.
Now with over 100 members and associates, the MMFA works with new and veteran farmers, ranchers, landowners, schools and youth groups in North Central Mississippi. MMFA provides technical assistance, financial management and marketing advice, while always remaining conscious of how the modern farmer can remain educated about climate smart initiatives. MMFA members cover a wide range of material, including beef cattle producers, sheep and meat goats), chickens, pork, and fruit/vegetable produce providers.
MMFA’s current director Carolyn Jones and her squad of “Agriculture Avengers” are unwavering in their dedication to ensure farmers of colors have the opportunity to service their communities, and the nation in general.
In a state with a significantly high poverty rate and pockets of food insecurity, the Mississippi Minority Farmers association is bridging the gap. Reg Weaver is often quoted as saying, “nobody can make you inferior without your consent.” MMFA is giving their home’s agriculture community the permission to grow and create a bountiful harvest.
