In Vermont, just 17 of the 7,000 farms are Black-owned. A new grant seeks to expand access.

BURLINGTON, Vt. — Out of the nearly 7,000 farms in Vermont, only 17 are Black-owned, according to the 2017 U.S. agriculture census. A $2 million fund is seeking to expand access to farm land ownership in Vermont for people who have been historically denied land based on their race.

The design and governance of this "land sovereignty" fund will be determined by Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. It is part of a broader $6 million initiative by the High Meadows Fund, Vermont Community Foundation, and Vermont Land Trust to promote the economic viability, sustainability, and diversity of farming in Vermont.

"The historic Clemmons farm is one of the few Black-owned farms remaining in the state and nation. We look forward to joining hands with others to support the important work ahead," said Lydia Clemmons, executive director of the Clemmons Family Farm in Charlotte.

The Vermont Land Trust permanently restricts development of land using a legal tool called conservation easement. Since 1977, they have conserved 11% of the state's land, over 590,000 acres, most of which is actively farmed or managed for timber by private owners.

Nationally, Black land ownership has declined by nearly 90% over the last century, resulting in a total loss of 36.7 million acres, according to Census of Agriculture data. Investigations by Mother Jones and The Atlantic attribute this decline to racist government policies, discriminatory lending practices, white vigilantism, and police violence.

Indigenous people have lost 1.5 billion acres of land since the founding of the U.S., according to University of Georgia historian Claudio Saunt.

"Indigenous communities, once the sole stewards of Vermont’s land, have been diminished and marginalized by centuries of displacement and discrimination, including the eugenics movement in Vermont in the early 20th century," the High Meadows Fund wrote in a press release about the new grant.

Contact April Fisher at amfisher@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter: @AMFisherMedia