Southeastern Black farmers’ organization makes first visit to SC

About 200 to 300 individuals, including farmers and agricultural organization members, attended the National Black Grower’s Council model farm field day and took a tour of three farms owned by Mahogany Farms LLC Rowesville farmer Antron Williams.

“It is about networking and sharing  information about different technologies learning about different chemicals and chemistry on crops,” NBGC Assistant Chairman Dexter Gilbert said. “It is great networking for the farm community as a whole.”

Gilbert, a third-generation farmer who farms about 5,800 acres of cotton and peanuts, traveled all the way from the Panhandle of Florida to attend the NBGC’s sixth field day of the year and the first one ever in South Carolina.

Attendees hailed from 10 to 12 states, including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia, Kentucky and Texas.

The NBGC is a group of multigenerational producers who advocate for the best interests of Black farmers locally, statewide and nationally. The group promotes agriculture in the United States and abroad. The NBGC began in 2006 and field days have been held by the organization since 2010. 

The NBGC Board of Directors consists of 12 farmers who operate farms in 11 Southern states from Virginia to Texas. Collectively, the board farms nearly 60,000 acres of row crops.

Gilbert said networking is the most important thing for the minority farmer, who can often face challenges especially when it comes to access of capital and finding good land to lease or purchase.

“Minority landowners have dropped over the years tremendously,” Gilbert said. “If you didn’t inherit the farm or marry into it, it is very tough.”

“There is help there if you can get qualified for it,” Gilbert said. “You have to go through the process to get there. It has gotten better over the years.

Williams said it was his honor to host the farmers throughout the Southeast. He farms about 550 acres of corn, cotton, soybeans and sorghum. It is all non-irrigated.

“This gives an opportunity for Black farmers to network with other Black farmers and to network with industry folks,” Williams said. “With us farming, networking is so key.”

Williams, 40, said as a first-generation farmer, he is proof that farming can be done. He has been farming since 2005.

“It has not been easy, but it is doable,” Williams said. “Whatever your goals are, set out a plan and go forward even if somebody says it is impossible. If you really want to do it, you can work at it and do it.”

As part of the field day tour, farmers were able to learn about the different corn varieties and the impact of fungicide applications on crop yields and management.

Farmers were also able to learn about technologies related to John Deere in tractors, planters and row-crop sprayers. Farmers were also able to visit a soybean field and learn more about soybean varieties and herbicide and fungicide applications. 

Farm Credit System Chief Credit Officer Isaac Bennett, who lives in Texas but is originally from South Carolina, hosted the tour in partnership with the NBGC. The Farm Credit System and the NBGC have had a partnership for a decade.

“Orangeburg County is really where I started my career,” Bennett said. “For me this has kind of been full circle.”

Bennett holds a master’s degree in agribusiness from South Carolina State University and still owns property in Orangeburg. He hosted a dinner for the visiting farmers the night before the field day.

Bennett said one of the reasons the NBGC wanted to come to South Carolina is an opportunity for membership growth.

“There are probably a number of minority farmers in the area that are just not familiar with the National Black Growers Council,” Bennett said. “They do a good job of educating and supporting. Some farms are large and some are small.”

Bennett expressed pleasure at seeing 24 high school students from the South Carolina Governor’s School of Agriculture in attendance.

“We know the average age of farmers is getting on up there,” Bennett said. “Here this is a group of young people who obviously have shown some interest in agriculture and hopefully we are cultivating the next generation.”

Bennett said the unique challenge facing minority farmers is access to capital.

“Just understanding the process, what information is needed putting together a financial plan, laying out budgets and goals,” Bennett said. “It is expensive. It is not a very inexpensive job. You look at this equipment, the costs of purchasing the land is not easy.”

Bennett said FCS does have a young beginners and small farmer program.

“The whole idea is to network with an organization like this so they can tell us what their needs and maybe we can customize some programs that will help them to sustain agriculture,” Bennett said.

Jaquez Perry, 2022 graduate of the South Carolina Governor’s School of Agriculture, continues to work on his family farm in Georgia while currently a student at South Carolina State University.

The 20-year-old grows about 800 acres of corn, cotton, soybeans and peanuts. The family also raises cows.

“I wanted to see what they had to say about farming and make growers a lot better,” Perry said, noting during the tour he learned more about different corn products and soybean spray treatments. He is hoping to bring what he learns back to his farm in Georgia.

“I was born into farming; I guess it was just natural,” Perry said when asked how his education at the Governor’s School helped him.

Trip Steigarwald, who currently is also a student at the Governor’s School, came on the field day as part of a discovery mission.

Steigarwald has been at the Governor’s School since 2022. He is on the environmental natural resources track through the college with plans for entry into forestry.

Steigarwald said going on the field day has also helped broaden his horizons.

“Agriculture is so much bigger and to say to only focus on natural resources would be very narrow-minded having a wide view of what is currently happening is important to me especially,” he said. “Going out on this farm tour, I am able to see what is being grown and how I can help with that or maybe I can offer someone else more advice on that.”

Gregory Jenkins, who grew up on his grandparents’ family rice farm in Green Pond, now wants to transform the once-active farm into a 100-acre horse ranch — Franklin and Bell Legacy Farm.

Currently he has five horses.

“I am rebuilding what my grandparents started as far as farming in Green Pond,” he said. “I love horses.”

Jenkins flew in from Austin, Texas, to participate in the tour.

Jenkins came to the event to learn more about planting crops such as hay and grass to serve as feed for his horses. 

“Meeting folks and hopefully they will help share about how to keep the ground fertile to get started,” Jenkins said. “I know the basics, but as far as the technical aspects of it I just want to gain more information.”

“Farmers are the backbone of our economy,” Sen. Vernon Stephens, D-Bowman, said, noting that as a representative of rural South Carolina counties, he has a “passion” for farmers.

“Your worth does not go unnoticed. There are a number of us who will keep agriculture in the forefront as we legislate on a daily basis.”

Stephens, who farmed during high school through 2002, says, “I have a love for the farm.” He is concerned about the plight of farmers, especially small farmers.

“We have too many folks who are actually selling the farmland for manufacturing, for housing developments,” Stephens said. “In order for us to continue to feed South Carolina, feed America, we are going to have to come up with some kind of moratorium on selling land. I hope it never gets to that. Our farmers should have that option of determining what they can and what they can’t do with their land.”

Stephens said he is pleased with the state being able to host the event. South Carolina has been looking at different pieces of legislation that will help ease the burden or red tape for farmers in getting needed loans. 

“How can we retain the family farm?” he said. “We can never forget about farmers.”