EAST POINT, Ga. — An East Point nonprofit is celebrating a milestone after distributing millions of dollars to help Black, Indigenous and women farmers in Georgia with their grant program.
The Common Market Southeast has allocated state funds to benefit Local Lands, a Black-owned and small family-operated pasture, in order to support underserved communities and farmers.
“As farmers, not just farmers, but Black farmers, we’re pillars of the community and people really look up to us and the way that we function,” said EliYahu Ben Asa with Local Lands and head farmer at the Atlanta Harvest, a counterpart of the family’s farm.
According to the nonprofit, the initiative hopes to help local farms by enabling them to supply food to major institutions such as schools, hospitals, universities, and large-scale government contracts.
“This past year has been very, very good for us,” explained Asa Ysrael, head farmer at Local Lands. “The LFPA (Local Food Purchase Assistance) program has allowed us to scale up. It gives us security, so we don’t have to worry about if the product gets sold. We can focus on other variables that aren’t controllable. I’m happy about that.”
With the grant, the Black-owned farm has expanded its production for pasture-raised eggs, producing five times the amount of eggs than ever before. Local Lands farmers also said that the nonprofit has allowed them to grow their sale opportunities. The farm has also had over $80,000 in purchase commitments, according to a release from the nonprofit.
“The grant has helped us decrease the cost of our eggs. Small family farms like ourselves, we don’t necessarily have the capacity, you know, certain generational wealth, that we’re able to decrease the cost of our eggs to the general public,” said Raphaela Ysrael with Local Lands.
The farmers added the funds have also allowed them to address food deserts, helping residents to expand their access to organic and local foods.
“With that kind of target focus, we’re trying to help out the southern side of metro Atlanta, especially because access to organic, local fresh food is at a very minimum, like we said, that we’re in one of the food deserts,” said Asa.
The funding program has also helped several other farms and pastures around Georgia, including Starlit Roots Farms in Keysville, Snapfinger Farms in Stockbridge and Green Box Mushrooms in Alpharetta.
“Historically underserved farmers have long been excluded from wholesale opportunities,” Bill Green, the nonprofit’s executive director, said. “This program builds on the work begun during the USDA’s pandemic-era contracts to engage historically underserved producers, promoting sustainability and equity in local food systems while delivering fresh, ecologically responsible produce to communities.”
According to the nonprofit, the next phase of the program will supply food to larger-scale institutions.