Black women have long been at the heart of agriculture, from ancestral sharecropping to modern-day urban farming movements. Princess Titus, co-founder of Appetite for Change, a local nonprofit that uses food as a tool to promote health, wealth, and social change, is a leader dedicated to reclaiming land, food and power for her community.
A grandmother’s hands
Titus’ journey into urban farming was deeply influenced by her grandmothers, Odessa and Laura, who used food as medicine and a means of community-building. Odessa pursued a culinary arts degree at 54, while Laura grew her own food to counter health issues. Their example dismantled Titus’s early associations of fieldwork with slavery and oppression, instead fostering a sense of pride in harvesting food for her family and community.
“The impact of these invitations created a craving in me to grow food and keep that culture of liberation and power — being in solidarity with the land,” Titus said, reminiscing how her grandmothers grew her interest in growing food, as if she were part of the harvest herself.
Food sovereignty in food deserts
Women, particularly Black women, have been at the forefront of food justice, ensuring equitable access to fresh, nutritious food in underserved communities. For example, civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer founded the Freedom Farm Cooperative in 1969 in Mississippi. This initiative sought to combat economic insecurity and food scarcity among Black communities by promoting land ownership and sustainable farming practices.
Today we have many women-led organizations doing the same work, nationally and here in the Twin Cities. In addition to Appetite for Change, The Lakeview Terrace farmers market, founded by Chaz Sandifer, makes history as the only Black-women-owned farmers market in Minnesota. The belief that urban farming is a direct response to systemic food insecurity is evident amongst Black women in agriculture.
“Urban farming is our resilience in action, a way to respond to the food system that we complain about — one that makes us sick and closes the doors of stores in our neighborhoods,” Titus said.
West Broadway in North Minneapolis, like many predominantly Black communities, faces a landscape dominated by fast-food chains while lacking grocery stores that cater to residents’ nutritional needs. With recent closures of stores like Aldi, Dollar Tree, and Walgreens, the urgency to create sustainable food systems has only grown.
Appetite for Change has spent 14 years engaging the Twin Cities community in growing and cooking food while fostering conversations about social change. “One of the questions that came up is what do we do if the food trucks don’t come into our community?” Titus said, emphasizing the necessity of self-sufficiency.
“I have to acknowledge the hardships we face are what pushes us to be our own solution. Believe that you can do it, and start small. If you have a raised bed, you can grow strawberries, tomatoes, salad greens and cucumbers. That gives you access to a fruit that comes back every year, plus fresh ingredients for salads and cooking greens for Sunday dinner. It’s a great way to supplement your shopping and begin your growing journey.”
Making something out of nothing
Black women in urban farming are employing innovative techniques to maximize food production in limited spaces. Community gardens, vertical farming, hydroponics, and permaculture practices are among the strategies increasing access to fresh produce. These efforts not only provide nourishment but also restore agency over food sources, helping Black communities reclaim autonomy over their food systems and economic futures.
In the early 20th century, agriculture was the bread and butter of the southern Black population. The promise of “40 acres and a mule” was a vastly unfulfilled promise. Despite this, by 1910, Black Americans owned approximately 15 million acres of land, primarily in the South.
However, due to systemic discrimination and other factors, this number declined sharply over the 20th century, dropping to about 2 million acres by 1997. Today, Black-owned farms currently account for less than 1% of the nation’s farmland, with the number of women-owned farms at approximately 30,000 per the USDA.
Though there are still barriers to land ownership, real change starts with individual action. Growing and cooking your own food can have a ripple effect, influencing those around you while contributing to systemic transformation.
Researching and connecting with others in the movement is essential. One-on-one conversations can reveal opportunities to collaborate, build on existing efforts, and learn from experienced growers.
Further elaborating on the importance of self sufficiency, Titus highlights the value in owning the land you grow on. “Farming takes time, and securing land is a crucial investment in long-term sustainability. Ownership fosters stability, ensuring that the work being done today can continue for generations to come.”
Urban farming, spearheaded by leaders like Titus, is about more than just growing food — it is a movement for justice, health and empowerment. As Black women continue to cultivate change, they honor their ancestral roots while sowing the seeds for a more equitable future.
Kiara Williams welcomes reader responses at kwilliams@spokesman-recorder.com.