MANSFIELD: Farm Credit – Will Anything Ever Change?

By Mansfield Frazier

Back in 1997, Timothy Pigford, a black farmer from North Carolina, was joined by 400 additional black farmers from across the country that became plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit brought against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They alleged that the USDA was treating black farmers differently (and unfairly) when deciding to allocate price support loans, disaster payments, “farm ownership” loans, and operating loans, and that the department had failed to process subsequent complaints about racial discrimination. In October of 2011, federal judge Paul Friedman gave final approval to a $1.2 billion settlement in favor of the black farmers.

In spite of the large dollar amount, and breath and scope of the settlement (which proved the black farmers’ allegations that for decades they were being discriminated against), the case didn’t receive much media attention. But one would think the settlement would cause things to change in regards to how black farmers are treated by those who hold the purse strings… but don’t hold your breath on that one.

On July 12, I was asked to make a short presentation to a group — Farm Credit Mid-America — that was holding a conference here in Cleveland. According to the organization’s website, “Farm Credit Mid-America is a $19 billion agriculture lending cooperative serving more than 95,000 farmers, agribusinesses and rural residents throughout Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Loans are available for farm real estate financing, operating loans, and equipment and livestock loans. As a lender serving rural America, we also offer crop insurance and a full line up of leasing options. We also offer financing for people who want to live in the country, whether it’s for purchasing a home or purchasing land to build a home later.”

In addition to touring the West Side Market, the group visited a site on Crawford Road in Hough where high-tunnel hoop houses were being constructed. There they got to play in the dirt for about an hour before re-boarding the tour bus for their next stop, which was our Vineyards of Château Hough.

I’d been asked by the tour organizer to board the bus with the group on Crawford Road and give these fine folks a bit of background on what we were attempting to accomplish in the field of urban agriculture with our vineyard and BioCellar projects. Since these are the folks who provide credit to rural farmers, I thought their eyes would glaze over when I began my spiel about urban farming … but that was not the case. They all seemed very attentive and asked a number of questions that demonstrated a keen interest in what we’re doing.

There was only one fly in the ointment, so to speak: All 40 or so of the folks on the bus were white. Now, mind you, these are the same folks who work hand-in-glove with the USDA to provide (or not provide, as the case may be) funds to rural farmers. Out of 40 or so of them one would expect at least a few minorities but, except for one white Hispanic, not one minority was on the bus.

Thinking I was mistaken that in this day and age this kind of racism by exclusion no longer existed, I visited the organization’s website and found that of the numerous images on it, all of the folks were white. As the saying goes, “Houston, we have a problem.”

I’m not saying that I know for a fact black farmers have not received fair treatment from any of the folks on the bus, but the simple fact is, the only way for this organization to not have any minorities on staff is to make a conscious effort at excluding non-whites. This didn’t happen by accident or oversight … it’s a purposeful way of conducting business that’s still too prevalent in many corners of America. Indeed, so prevalent that the leadership of Farm Credit probably have never given a thought to diversity. And with no minorities in the organization, the chances that the few black farmers left receive fair treatment are slim to none, and that’s what this comes down to: Having equal access to capital … something black business owners have too often lacked.

The construct at Farm Credit just might be a perpetuation of the exclusionary practices so prevalent for years at the USDA. I spoke with a couple of folks who have knowledge of the plight of the black farmer and they both simply shook their heads in disgust as they confirmed my suspicions in regards to Farm Credit and other organizations that adhere to the same unfair practices.

This type of racism by exclusion is probably so embedded, so ingrained as a part of the culture of this organization, that my sending them a copy of this article will accomplish nothing in terms of nudging the leadership to take a long, hard look at their operations. Indeed, it might take a class-action lawsuit to bring about positive changes, so that’s why I’ll be disseminating this article as far and wide as I can in an attempt to bring this grossly unfair situation to the attention of someone who has the authority to look into it and begin rectification. Fair is fair — in the city or in the country.

The group’s website also states, “Farm Credit Mid-America conducts its business by following high standards of honesty, integrity, impartiality, loyalty and care consistent with applicable laws and regulations.” This should be fairly easy to prove or disprove, and I think it’s about time someone checked to see if this merely is boilerplate … and that the truth is far different than the flowery rhetoric.

From Cool Cleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available again in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author by visiting http://NeighborhoodSolutionsInc.com.

 

 

 

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