Early Farming in Jacksonville

The end of slavery did not entirely prevent opportunities for black farmers to acquire land.
Farming as a family-owned and independent business has been an important part of the social and economic development of the United States. But for many black farmers it was more often than not a losing struggle. The end of slavery was followed by about 100 years of racial discrimination in the South that limited, although it did not entirely prevent, opportunities for black farmers to acquire land.

Enforcement of civil rights in the 1950s–60s removed many overt discriminatory barriers, although by that time increased technology had significantly reduced the demand for farmers in agricultural production. Nevertheless, cooperatives, while having some limited application in earlier decades, emerged as a significant force for black farmers during the civil rights movement. They assumed a major role in marketing and purchasing and in improving opportunities for black farmers to retain their ownership of land. They essentially helped keep alive a traditional aspiration for independent farming. This report reviews the history of black farmers to explore the role of cooperatives in their pursuit of independent farming.

The term “independent farmer” is often used for different purposes, ranging from description of a personality-type to justifications for farm policy. A general definition is an individual who makes farm-operating decisions that have variable risk and reward outcomes. For independent farming to be successful, risk/reward combinations must be competitive with what is offered by alternative production systems that diminish operating independence of farmers.

Read the full research report here.