Land access is one of the most critical components of agricultural production. Centuries of structural and institutional racism have blocked Black farmers from equal access to land in a myriad of ways. Land ownership in America, including in Maine, is inherently connected to a history of genocide and dispossession of Native peoples and forced labor from Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. Barriers to land access for farmers of color continue on to this day through discriminatory policies, unequal access to capital, and exclusion from information and services.

The painful legacy of past violence and denials continue to shape present-day experiences and opportunities for Black people across the country, including Maine’s Black farmers. A survey conducted by the National Young Farmers Coalition found that, among 4,344 young farmers surveyed in 2022, finding affordable land to buy is the top challenge for young farmers. Purchasing land is even more challenging for Black young farmers, with 66% of Black respondents ranking finding affordable land as “very or extremely challenging” and 75% of Black farmers surveyed sharing that they currently need more access to land, whether to buy or lease. The 2017 Census of Agriculture revealed that only 11% of Black farmers in Maine own the land that they cultivate.

MFT supports LD 1274, An Act to Increase Land Access for Historically Disadvantaged Populations, which proposes two distinct but mutually reinforcing approaches to encourage the growth of Black farmers in the field of agriculture in Maine: an agricultural land grant program and an apprenticeship program. The bill would establish the Black Farmer Restoration Program within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to support Black farmers accessing land and having increased opportunity to contribute to our food system. The Department would purchase agricultural land from willing sellers, protect the land through an agricultural easement, and then grant the land to an eligible farmer. LD 1274 would also establish the Farm Conservation Corps to provide young people from socially disadvantaged groups with an entry into farming and agriculture through an apprenticeship program.

Take Action: A public hearing for LD 1274 is scheduled for Monday April 3, 2023 at 9am before the Legislature's Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (ACF) committee. You can help by contacting  members of the ACF committee to express your support for LD 1274 and for increasing land access for historically disadvantaged farmers in Maine.

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