BCI supported Community Grocery Co-op Member Loryne JOYce Bowen with attendance at The Inaugural 2024 Mid-Atlantic Black Farmers Conference this past January, put on by the Mid-Atlantic Black Farmers Caucus, a cooperative network of producers and associations of producers of agricultural products located in the Mid-Atlantic region. “As a Seasoned Community Networker/Co-operator, I learned a lot from the folks who attended and from the varied activities offered…Many thanks to BCI!”
A deep relationship between Black Farmers and food justice leaders East of the River is a key factor for success in developing a just food system and locally grounded supply chains -- an integral part of local and regional solidarity economies.
One of the Black Farm Tours offered at the conference - at The Farm at Kelly Miller.
Felix Macaraeg, BCI’s Organizing Director, shared: “It has been so exciting to accompany Community Grocery Coop (CGC) on their journey to resist and build: resist food apartheid in DC, and build a home-grown community grocery store! While successful grocery coops can be an uphill struggle, CGC has done the truly hard work first--staying together for over 10 years learning to make decisions together and navigating conflict. As one of our mentors, Ed Whitfield recently reminded us, we need more people who know how to keep people united together. Upwards and onwards, CGC!”