Black farmers in Minnesota reclaim heritage, community, and healing
Frog Tree Farm, the 40-Acre Co-op, and Mahogany Farm are part of a growing network of Black-led farms in Minnesota that blend food production with cultural preservation, education, and community healing.
Frog Tree Farm’s story is unique, yet it resonates with broader themes among Black farmers in Minnesota. Because so few exist, those who step into farming often become both groundbreakers and community-builders.
Frog Tree Farm not only produces seasonal products such as Christmas wreaths and holiday décor, but also serves as a hub for community healing and education — hosting workshops, retreats, and initiatives focused on violence prevention and agricultural literacy. This combination of cultural production and social impact illustrates how Black farmers in Minnesota are redefining what it means to steward the land today.
Angela Dawson, co-founder of the 40-Acre Co-op in Pine County, also exemplifies this dynamic. Dawson identifies as a “fourth-generation reclamation farmer,” reclaiming her ancestors’ agrarian heritage after generations away from the land. Remarkably, she began farming in 2018 on 40 acres near Sandstone, MN, and quickly became a leading voice for farmers of color.
“We haven’t found all of them,” Dawson quips. “There’s supposed to be 39 of us,” highlighting the isolation of being one of the few Black farmers in the state.
The co-op’s name nods to the historical promise of “40 acres and a mule” that was denied to freed slaves after the Civil War. Its mission is to foster “economic equity in the agricultural system for Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized farmers,” providing training, mentorship, and market opportunities for those excluded from mainstream agriculture.
Dawson emphasizes that knowing how to grow one’s own food is a form of empowerment, especially after Covid-19 exposed the fragility of food supply chains. The 40-Acre Co-op teaches sustainable practices to heal both soil and community and helps new farmers get started by providing resources and a supportive network.
Other emerging Black-led farms in Minnesota share similar values. Mahogany Farm in Mora, founded by Yaya and Julius Cohran (also founders of the Minnesota Black Farmers Association), emphasizes community, culture, and youth education. Hosting school groups and workshops, it serves as a gathering space for Black agricultural learners.
While Mahogany Farm, Frog Tree Farm, and the 40-Acre Co-op are geographically dispersed, together they form a network of Black farmers supporting one another. In 2025, Minnesota legislators proposed funding to boost these farms as hubs of Black agricultural heritage, including $1.363 million per year over two years to build greenhouses and educational facilities, and to renovate Mahogany Farm’s historic farmhouse.
This unprecedented funding would signal that Minnesota sees its handful of Black farms not only as agricultural producers, but also as cultural and educational treasures. The truth is, Black farmers in Minnesota face significant hurdles.
Access to land remains a top barrier, as farmland is expensive and often retained within white farming families or close-knit rural communities. Access to capital and credit is another challenge; lenders have historically underserved Black clients, a legacy of USDA discrimination.
Representation and mentorship gaps make farming feel intimidating or isolating, and for those who did not grow up on farms, the learning curve is steep. Tailored programs for emerging farmers are therefore crucial.
Minnesota has begun to take steps to support these farmers. The Emerging Farmers Working Group (EFWG), created in 2020, advises on policies to better serve non-traditional farmers. Its volunteer members include Black, immigrant, Indigenous, female, urban, and other diverse farmers, ensuring a range of perspectives.
Frog Tree Farm helped shape this group, with co-founder Michael Birchard serving as facilitator for five years. A major outcome was the creation of a permanent Emerging Farmers Office within the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) in 2021, now led by Lillian Otieno. The office coordinates support for emerging farmers, from translation services to grants, and in 2023 its funding was expanded to $1 million per year to grow outreach and services.
These efforts have yielded results. Between 2017 and 2022, Minnesota gained more than 50% additional Black farmers, rising from 39 to around 60+. New organizations like the Midwest Farmers of Color Collective and Twin Cities BIPOC grower networks provide peer support and advocacy.
Partnerships with food hubs, such as The Good Acre in St. Paul, create market opportunities for emerging growers. Media coverage of Black farmers further normalizes their presence and inspires others to consider farming.
For many Black Minnesotans, farming is a way to reconnect with heritage. Descendants of enslaved people carry a complex relationship to land, historically a site of both oppression and sustenance. Projects like Frog Tree Farm’s educational retreats and the 40-Acre Co-op’s programs allow families to farm in contexts of empowerment rather than exploitation.
Black farming is about healing historical trauma, building equitable futures, and passing resilience to the next generation. Unlike mainstream farms that measure success by yield, these farmers measure success in cultural and community impact, running small-scale CSAs that nourish hundreds of families.
While all emerging farmers face hurdles, Black farmers, particularly those who are African descendants of enslaved people (ADOS), face unique historical and structural barriers. Unlike immigrant farmers, who often arrive with agricultural experience, Black farmers inherit centuries of land dispossession and systemic exclusion from wealth-building opportunities.
Women, LGBTQ+, and veteran farmers face prejudice, but only Black and Indigenous farmers contend with intergenerational landlessness rooted in legal and extralegal oppression. Minnesota’s reports acknowledge that a “young African American woman interested in farming will likely face systemic barriers different from those of an older, non-English speaking male immigrant.”
Furthermore, in 2025 the Minnesota Legislature considered the “Black Farm Bills,” proposing grants to support Black farms, including $2.726 million for infrastructure at Mahogany Farm, Frog Tree Farm, and the 40-Acre Co-op, and $2.5 million for shared advanced farming equipment. Proponents argued that targeted support recognizes the unique historical and cultural context of Black farmers, fostering mentorship, cooperative learning, and community impact.
Opponents, including the Commissioner of Agriculture, argued that existing emerging farmer programs already cover historically underserved groups and that race-specific funding could invite legal challenges. Ultimately, the bills stalled, highlighting tensions between universal programs and targeted interventions.
In comparison, other states are experimenting with targeted measures for Black farmers. South Carolina and North Carolina have proposed state-level land restoration programs. Washington State mandated equity in agriculture programs to ensure underrepresented farmers are included. Illinois considered procurement preferences to create steady markets for minority farmers.
Federally, the Justice for Black Farmers Act (2020–2023) proposes land grants, USDA reforms, and HBCU apprenticeships, emphasizing that race-specific remedies are necessary to restore the Black land base. Minnesota has yet to adopt measures like the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, which protects generational Black land from forced sales, signaling an area for potential policy innovation.
Ultimately, African American farming in Minnesota embodies both the weight of history and the promise of innovation. Farmers like Peace Mitchell, Angela Dawson, and the Cochran family reclaim land, culture and community. Supporting these efforts is about more than food production — it is about food sovereignty, economic opportunity, and healing generational trauma.
By investing in Black farmers through programs like the Emerging Farmers Office and culturally specific initiatives like the Black Farm Bills, Minnesota can foster a more inclusive agricultural future where descendants of enslaved people can finally share in the harvest. Black farmers are cultivating not just crops, but identity, resilience, and a new narrative of belonging on Minnesota soil.
Peace Mitchell and Michael Birchard are land stewards of Frog Tree Farm. For more information, visit https://frogtreefarm.com/.