Source: NC A&T COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, 4/19/21


CAES alumna Brielle Wright and her sister Michelle always wanted to serve their community through a combination of agriculture, black identity and entrepreneurship. 

They made their dream come true last April when they started Farmer’s B.A.G. (Black Abundant, and Gifted), a farm in their hometown of Elizabethtown in Bladen County. In fact, the farm in southeastern North Carolina operates on land once owned by their great-grandmother.

Their experience is featured in a story on the Women AdvaNCe website, “Black women are aiming to change the landscape of agriculture.”

They began by selling strawberries and have expanded their operation to include jams, jellies, syrups, pickled watermelon rinds, pickled peppers and seasonal products, according to the website, which is dedicated to improving the lives of North Carolina women and families.

“When people think of black people and farming, they think of it from a hardship standpoint,” Brielle told Women AdvaNCe. “We want to change that narrative. There’s not a lot of us on the corporate side advocating for change or an increase of underrepresented groups in these corporate spaces who are deciding what agriculture and food security look like for us. All that pours into what we’re doing with the Farmer’s B.A.G.”

Brielle now works for the USDA, and she traveled frequently for work before the pandemic. Remote work made it possible for her to focus on farming.

Michelle, a graduate of Winston-Salem State University, works for a rural health department. Her studies at WSSU opened her eyes to food disparities and their impacts, she told the website.

“I’ve learned about the impact of food on your mental and your cognitive behavior,” Michelle said. “In areas where there are higher numbers of people of color, food was more likely to be bruised, didn’t have the same luster, and there wasn’t a lot of variety.

“You find these limited options and people say you’re not in a food desert. Technically, they can access certain things but you’re not giving me the opportunity to access good quality foods or a variety. You’re not allowing me to expand my palate. You’re not allowing me to have the access to the things that could benefit me mentally and physically. From a public health perspective, you look at how all these things come into play.”

Learn more about the farm on the Farmer’s B.A.G. Facebook page.