Black Food Sovereignty Coalition blackfoodnw.org

Black hands on the land, the food, and the economy

In 2022, farms with a Black producer in Oregon farmed about 15,600 acres, roughly 0.1% of the state's farmland. Only 6,060 of those acres were owned by the farms working them. We buy what Black, Brown, and Indigenous farmers couldn't sell, at the close of market day, so the farmer gets paid for it. We hold one site today, licensed rent-free to Black growers.

LAND FOOD ECONOMY

Give today

  • Give below. Our goal is $10,000 by New Year's.
  • Your gift helps Black, Brown, and Indigenous farmers and land tenders build a business that can pay for itself.
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"Most produce-rescue programs run on donated food, which puts the cost of feeding people on the farmer's margin. We pay for it instead." shiny flanary, Executive Director

Land

We hold the site agreement and license the land to Black growers at no cost, with full autonomy over what they plant.

  • Two Black farmers grow at Black Liberation Garden in the Alberta neighborhood. BFSC manages the site and handles its administration.

Food

Our After-Market Purchasing Program buys unsold produce from Black, Brown, and Indigenous growers at the close of four Portland farmers markets this year.

25,913 lbs
bought from farms so far this year
  • A guaranteed buyer at the end of every market day means produce that would otherwise go unsold reaches families.
  • Five partner organizations deliver it where families already go.

Economy

Black, Brown, and Indigenous farms and vendors own their businesses, and we support them as they grow.

  • We've paid small farms $127,691.96 this season, as of October 29, 2026. They are paid as customers, not funded as charity.
  • Come Thru Market is an incubator for new Black, Brown, and Indigenous businesses. Stalls cost $10 to $30 on a sliding scale.
  • Other Portland markets charge farmers $40 to $65 for a 10x10 stall.
  • Vendors get technical assistance with licensing, insurance, and grant applications, shaped by what each business needs.
Community is how this works. Every one of our six board members is Black. Our farmers shape our programs through focus groups that carry their recommendations into state policy. POP Club gives kids produce vouchers they spend among vendors who look like them.
Sources: USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture, Oregon (Tables 61 and 63). Portland State University Farmers Market stall fee chart, effective April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 (10x10 farmer stall fees, all listed markets). Black Food Sovereignty Coalition · Section 501(c)(3) · EIN 84-3776029 · Gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.