West Oakland, California In 1999, a class-action suit by America’s black farmers won what some called the biggest civil rights award in United States history. The U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., ruled that the USDA had systematically discriminated against black farmers in awarding loans and other government assistance. The judge estimated that $2 billion […]
Darthia Farm
Horse-powered Homesteaders Gouldsboro, Maine To some, gliding over new-fallen snow in a horse-drawn sleigh might seem like a wintertime fantasy — or a scene from a Courier & Ives print. To Darthia Farm, a 50 acre homestead and certified organic farm in Gouldsboro, Maine, it’s a way of life. Owned by Cindy and Bill Thayer, […]
Woods’ Cider Mill
A family tradition Springfield, Vermont “In the 1960’s we used to sell big cider jelly jars to hippies, now we sell small jars to yuppies,” chuckles Willis Wood, owner of Wood’s Cider Mill. On land first settled by Willis’ family in 1798, he and his wife, Tina, carry on the diversified farm operation in Weathersfield, […]
Windy Ridge Farm
Hendersonville, North Carolina “Everybody wants something different,” according to apple grower Anthony Owens. That’s why, in addition to 14 varieties of apples available in both organic and conventional, this small-scale North Carolina farmer produces apple wine, nectarines, and 20 certified organic acres of mixed vegetables. He is also looking into planting peach trees and expanding […]