Sweet Jones Farms Agriculture Conservation Park

Be a part of history with Sweet Jones Farms Agriculture Conservation Park, where we help train, develop and grow more black farmers in the United States! This fundraiser is powered by Generational Growers Coalition and all donations are tax deductable!

Black or mixed-race farmers represent less than 0.5% of total U.S. farm sales. Further, Black farmers operate at 70% of U.S. peer-level farm revenue with a 14% operating margin gap versus their peers before government payments.

Resource Link: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/agriculture/our-insights/black-farmers-in-the-us-the-opportunity-for-addressing-racial-disparities-in-farming

Sweet Jones Farms is currently expanding the farm for our bigger purpose! We are currently working on training farmers ranging in age from 12-55 years old. Be part of this once-in-a-lifetime chance to make history with Sweet Jones Farms Agriculture Retreat. This ag retreat will be used for the youth seasoned & unseasoned farmers. Our goal is a unique 60-acre place that will allow a place of peace and serenity for those who want to visit the farm and stay the night while experiencing farm life. This agriculture retreat will allow more grant money access to help train, develop and grow many new interns into farmers. Also, it will enable Sweet Jones Farms to train and develop farmers to be "market ready" and, more importantly, teach farming families how to have a sustainable farm, allowing them to create generational memories with families!

Farmers who enter our program will go through a rigorous 12-week course that will arm them with all the information they need to grow a substantial amount of food on their farmland or backyards. The program will consist of several components that will start in the classroom and end in the fields.

Our fields consist of watermelon, cucumbers, salad mixes, okra, sweet potatoes, mustard greens and more. Some of our farmers are certified Farm to Table, and we also have farmers who currently maintain a federal industrial hemp growers license. Our passion pours out into the fields, and we now need help expanding the opportunity to teach more black people how to farm.

We are thankful for everyone who donates! We will ensure this self-sustainable farmer coalition will be a platform to help educate, guide and train current and future black farmers for generations to come. For more information on why our focus is black farmers, please check out the history of farming while black below.

Also, please check out the perks of donating and again, we thank you!

Fund Uses

-"Field-Trip Proof" land and training area for kids/youth visits and summer enrichment camp. (pdf available)

-Provide certifications for summer camp attendees and youth-employed farm hands. (Includes CPR, First-Aid, Forklift, Land Clearing, Culinary/Home-Economics Certificates)

-Provides hunting, fishing and boating education and training. (Includes a lake; Includes hunter's license, fisherman's license, and boaters license with the state of Louisiana.)

-Planting/Harvesting Equipment (Includes designated farm land area for training the youth and adults on how to handle, maintain and drive heavy farm equipment such as tractors, combine harvesters etc.)

-Food Delivery Service (Includes customer service training, food storage facilities, food storage and handling training and certificates. Also includes CDL License (Classes A, B, C in Louisiana) training assistance.

Farming History of Black People

Reports from the US Department of Agriculture have shown that black-owned farms make up less than 2% of all farms in the United States. You may ask how that is so. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the number of black farmers in America peaked in 1920 when there were 949,889. Today there are only about 45,600. Black farmers own approximately 0.55% of America’s farmland compared to 95% of US white farmers. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a well-documented history of discrimination against black farmers in the past. Because of discriminatory practices by the USDA and private lending institutions, black farmers did not have fair access to the credit or crop insurance necessary to sustain their farms. With that being the case, expansion was never an option. Today black farms, on average, are much smaller and generate much less cash flow and income when compared with white farms. The average full-time white farmer brought in about $17,215 in farm income, while the average full-time black farmer made just about $2,425 in 2017.

Donation Perks and Details

$25 donation will receive a free salt-free creole seasoning from Sweet Jones Farms

 ( www.sweetjonesfarms.com ) and a sample bar of soap from a partnering company Ecolone Handmade Soaps. 

( www.ecolonesworld.com )

$500 donation will receive a gift basket including a full-size salt-free creole seasoning, fresh herbs, vegetables and (5) full-size bars of handmade soap from the above links. The donor will be enshrined in our "Hall of Fame Supporters" at the welcome center.

Investors, Silent Partners, Property Developers, Grant Holders & Writers

Please email [email redacted] to request a complete business plan and financial protection.