Today, North Carolina ranks among the top 10 states with the largest Black population living in poverty (23.4 % of Blacks live in poverty in NC, while only 12% of Whites do). According to farm producer data tracked by the USDA Census of Agriculture, out of 60,288 principal producers in NC, 1,699 (2.8%) are Black or African American. When looking at land ownership statistics, minority groups make up nearly 5% of farm producers that own, lease, or rent land. Blacks and other farmers of color continue to struggle with access to resources and capital that would allow them to build soil health and wealth by optimizing the economic and ecological benefits associated with land stewardship, whether as owners or tenants.

The Financial Health Investment project involves a place-based approach to addressing the financial resilience and long-term success of Black and other minority farmers and landowners. By offering online financial coaching workshops supplemented by one-to-one coaching, we aim to increase financial health, assisting each participant to build strong financial systems that lead to greater resilience and improved access to wealth-building opportunities.

Registrations for our second cohort are open! To learn more, view the flyer below. To contact us about possible collaborations, email the REEFS team: reefsATcroataninstitute.org.