Women’s History Month: Importance of Females in farming
MARYLAND – In honor of Women’s History Month we’re highlighting women who have made changes in the past and present, and surprisingly, two local Black women found freedom through farming.
African Americans in Agriculture
For centuries African Americans labored on land they could never live on, let alone own. However, in Maryland 2 women have taken over the land and the legacy it holds, as they explain the importance of African Americans in agriculture.
Land of Legacy
Slavery along the eastern shore meant one was forced by law to grow and till farmland in the 1800s, never reaping the fruits of their labor. In the 1850s, Harriet Tubman would travel these same grounds, guiding enslaved Africans to freedom.
Over a century later the same land has been black owned for more than 70 years. Paulette Greene and Donna Dear, who go by “The Aunties”, are the first Black women to take hold of it.
Aunt Paulette
79-year-old Organic Food Grower and Educator Aunt Paulette inherited the land from her great grandparents. She explains the importance of generational landowners in the Black Community.
“We feel the need to be tied to the land and to feed people, and to feed people with quality food. It’s also an honor that so many younger people who gravitate towards us, and who are doing the same thing.”
‘My Soul is a Witness’
Mt. Pleasant Acres Farms is a 111-acre plot that includes a greenhouse, a river, and a forest. The historic 200-year-old “Witness Tree” is believed to retain the energy of runaways and Harriet Tubman herself, as they fought their way to freedom. Many embrace the tree, believing the vibrations of those who once stood there can still be felt today.
Aunt Donna
The women believe Harriet Tubman’s strength lives on through them, and through the food they produce. Aunt Donna is a 78-year-old Organic Farmer who says the Black community doesn’t always able to access to clean eating.
“You don’t think about the quality of food that you’re ingesting that could have, and it does have an adverse effect on your health… My favorite thing would be enjoying the fact that I can go out my door and go into my garden and know what I’m eating.”
Succession for Success
Though they have no children, they have a lot of interest. Aunt Paulette says they are determined to keep the legacy of this land alive.
“So, we have a succession plan, and it will stay the way that it is. And it will not be sold, and it will continue to produce… But everybody wants to be a part of it and we can’t have everybody at once.We are going to put in place a rotation process for them. So that each one of them that wants to can become involved. You don’t want to leave people out who have so much to offer.”
Plants for Progress
The American Bar Associations reports in 1910 Black Americans owned around 14 million acres of land, compared to the 1.1 million acres owned in 2022. Studies show that only 1 in 5 Black residents have access to fresh foods, and that’s something the Aunties say they can help change one plant at a time.
“The Aunties” have many ways they reach out and educate the public. If you are interested in learning more about their journey, click here to see more!
