In 2023, Persimmon Collective Fund awarded seven $75,000 grants to BIPOC farmers and land stewards and their ecosystems in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia.

  • Cherokee Agriculture Company, Western North Carolina.
    David Anderson serves as the Horticulture Operations Supervisor for The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, where his work revolves a number of agriculture and natural resources projects that benefit the tribe. Mr. Anderson is an owner of Cherokee Agriculture Company where the goals are to conserve cultural foods relevant to Western NC and the Cherokee community, build a sustainable local food system, and preserve farmland. Mr. Anderson also serves as Chairman for the EBCI Extension Advisory Council, Board Chairman of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, and has a seat on the Southern Ark of Taste Committee.

  • Tierra Fértil Coop, Western North Carolina
    Tierra Fértil Coop is a social and economic initiative that a group of Hispanic community members living in Henderson County, North Carolina, started in august 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    This project stemmed from personal and collective dreams of promoting access to resources and capacity to produce food and in this way, stimulate food justice and racial equity in the local food and agricultural system.

    We are all originally from Mexico and El Salvador. Even though we do not own any land and we do not have yet all the resources to invest, our purpose is to set a precedent to reclaim and recover knowledge, resources, autonomy, capacity and collective power to create a more sustainable, fair, and equitable life for the Latinx community and People of Color.

  • Carter Farms, Virginia
    Michael Carter Jr. is an 11th generation farmer in the United States and is the 5th generation to farm on Carter Farms, his family’s century farm in Orange County, Virginia where he gives workshops on how to grow and market ethnic vegetables. He acquired an agricultural economics degree from North Carolina A&T State University and has worked in Ghana, Kenya and Israel as an agronomist and organic agricultural consultant. He presently consults with numerous governments, organizations, and individuals throughout the region and nation on food access, food security/insecurity, market outreach, social and economic parity/equity/evaluation programs, racial understanding, immersion, history, and cultural training, among other areas. He happily assists his sons in running their respective businesses, Carter Brothers and Sunnyside Entertainment, when not homeschooling his three youngest sons.

  • Gullah Farms Cooperative Association, St. Helena Island, SC
    Owner of Yorkshyre Farm & Member of Gullah Farms Cooperative Association, St. Helena Island, SC. The Gullah Farmers Cooperative was founded in 2010 to establish a profitable, significant local food market for Farmer-Members who are honoring and continuing the agricultural traditions of the Gullah Community. He is also a Clemson University Cooperative Extension Agent, where he develops educational programs in agriculture, natural resources, and youth development.

  • Native Brand Honey, Eastern North Carolina.
    Chana is a Certified Beekeeper in the state of NC, as well as being a beginning BIPOC farmer in Eastern North Carolina. With being raised and immersed in the Indigenous and Black communities, Chana was and is still able to see the health disparities, and the marginalization in the people, the land, and culture. Native Brand Honey, LLC is her for profit business where she is able to sell honey, and all products from the hive. Shades of Agri-Kulture is the 501c3, which looks after all things produce and value added products. From Small Farm Intern to Small Farm Project Director, Chana has been having the opportunity to work with many small farmers. She has assisted in enhancing their farm(s), their communities, while having a footprint from Eastern NC Coast to Charlotte.

  • High Hog Farm, Georgia
    Originally from upstate NY, Keisha resides outside of Atlanta, GA. After moving to their farm, Keisha received a Permaculture Design Certification in 2013, which quickly led to an interest and study of agroecology and indigenous land and foodways. Combined with a focus on Black agrarian history, Keisha’s family incorporates indigenous practices into their evolving relationship with the farm and its ecosystem.

    Today, Keisha continues to work alongside her family, growing food and fibers while also offering programs, workshops, and healing circles designed to address the various forms of healing that are needed within and beyond our food systems. Keisha’s approach regularly infuses elements of fun and exploration into the experiences she designs, empowering others and facilitating opportunities for change.

  • Black Agrarian Workers of the South (BAWS) , Georgia
    alsie parks is an atlanta-native, that advocates and activates the use of food as an organizing tool for healing and liberation. as a child of the south, she is the granddaughter of educators, sharecroppers, and black land owners with ancestral land in Lincolnton, GA. as a farmer organizer, agrarian cultural worker, food systems practitioner, land steward and nurturer she serves by cultivating intimate and responsive relationships with and for the land and our people that activate remembrance, honor sacred traditions and shares in the practice of Southern Black land-based lifeways and foodways. she currently serves as the Director of Field Organizing for SAAFON and is the former Southern Regional Organizer for the National Black Food & Justice Alliance. in addition to her work with SAAFON alsie is a founding core member of SASS Consulting Collective, Fort Negrita Cooperative, Black Mycelium Project, and the Black Agrarian Workers of the South Collective (BAWS). she values the love, labor and intelligence of farmers, black cultural geographies, storytelling, truth telling, kitchen magic, hospitality, porch talks, sisterhood, big mama energy, being queer and being expansive.

  • Earthbound Building, Virginia
    I live and play in nature for a living and a profession. I'm a worker-owner of Earth-Bound Building, a natural building and timber framing construction coop based in Brandywine, MD. We primarily work with farmers, rural folks and grassroots community groups in the mid-Atlantic and occasionally in the south and abroad. We focus on building functional farm infrastructure, natural homes and cottages and barns. Before working in construction, I was a organic veggie production farmer for 10+ years. I now co-manage and support our family farm (Juniper's Garden) with my partner where we focus on medicinal herb production, specialty veggies and agro-tourism/nature-play for folks of color.

    I'm a founding member of the Black Dirt Farm Collective, family member of Earthseed Land Coop, and have written several articles and book chapters on topics ranging from agroecology, co-ops and returning generation black farmers.

    Above all that jazz, I'm just a regular person who is happy parent of Juniper Brown, lover of all things musical, wood, dirt and good vibes (i.e moon shine).