Celebrate National Black Agricultural Week July 10 -July 16

George Washington Carver is the most celebrate farmer in the history of the United States with over 400 inventions using soy beans and peanuts, and other legumes. He was so famous that in the early 1900s, there were US dollar coins with his face, one of the first and few black faces you ever saw on American money. In his biography he said that the plants spoke to him and told him what to do with them. Deep, now everybody talks about weeds.

Saveblackfarmers.og

2011 Theme: Recognition, Justice, and Development

 Creating Opportunities: Awareness, Education, Outreach, and Volunteerism around Black Agriculture

What Is Black Ag Awareness Week?Black Agricultural Awareness Week is a week set aside to recognize and celebrate black agriculture, while bringing awareness to the needs and the decline of Black Agricultural Producers; as well as focus attention on the African American community regarding food and food choices.

When Is Black Ag Awareness Week?Black Ag Awareness Week is celebrated from July 10, 2011 through July 16, 2011. National Black Ag Week falls during the week of George Washington Carver's Birthday.

Apopka Lee of Florida

Who Hosts Black Ag Awareness Week?Healthy Solutions hosts the national campaign. However, the awareness efforts in individual communities across America are as influential - if not more influential - than the broad-scale effort. A planning Guide and Toolkits will be produced to allow for communities the opportunity to host events in celebration of this vital week. Healthy Solutions also partners with several organizations and businesses nationally that work to make this week happen.

What Is Black Ag Awareness Week All About?Black Ag Awareness Week is about recognizing, educating, and celebrating the contribution of African Americans, and People of African Descent, to agriculture in our everyday lives. The National Black Ag Awareness Week encourages everyone to:
Understand how the decline in Black Agricultural Producers is an issue that needs immediate attention.
Educate youth to want to pursue Agriculture as a viable option to build a foundation for themselves and communities.

Appreciate the many agriculturally related accomplishments that benefit not just black agricultural producers, but agriculture as a whole, and impact us on a daily basis.

Bring awareness to food and agricultural issues in the African American community as a whole

Why Celebrate Black Agriculture?Why not?! Agriculture provides almost everything we eat, use and wear, but few people truly recognize or understand the part that Black producers, scientist, chemist, and African Americans in general have played to make Global Agriculture what it is today. Oftentimes we see pictures of farms and food and the true picture of Black Agriculture is not represented.

On December 18, 2010 the UN Declared 2011 as the International Year for People of African Descent, with the themes of Recognition, Justice, and Development. We feel there is no better time to celebrate those who paved the way for agriculture in the US while educating our people, and bringing awareness to the fact that black farmers may soon become extinct if we do not act now by educating and training our youth, and our communities to pursue agriculture. The saying that there is No Culture Without Agriculture will become truer than ever as Black Agriculture will become extinct without immediate action and the awareness brought about by weeks set aside to insure that a culture, food, farmers, land, and heritage will not be lost.

What Can I Do to Help?Get involved! Your participation in Black Ag Awareness Week is critical in helping us spread this message about black agriculture. If you are interested in planning an event, download your Planning Guide today. Of course, there are other ways you can lend your support, including sending a letter to your local newspaper, sponsoring outreach activities, volunteering on local black farms, hosting educational events with our toolkit, hosting a Black Farmers Market, advocating for your local store to feature food from a Black Producer for this week, hosting a day of Prayer and Healing at your place of Worship, calling your Congressional representative, providing in-kind donations to get the word out or simply purchasing from Black Producers this week.

Where Can I Find More Information?Contact the Healthy Solutions at (888) 415-2667, our website www.SaveBlackFarmers.org ( check site as information will be updated regularly) , or email BlackAgWeek@healthysolutionsgroup.org