My guest today is Renard Turner, an independent, African-American, sustainable farmer. Along with his wife, he raises gourmet goats and squab at Vanguard Ranch Natural Gourmet in Virginia. He is also the opening keynote speaker at the upcoming conference, Together We Can, from Future Harvest. I wanted to learn more about Renard and how those experiences inform his upcoming keynote speech, New Age Agrarianism: Growing for a Regenerative, Sustainable, and Equitable Planet.
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The result which follows is a frank conversation about agriculture and the impacts of systemic practices and policies on African-Americans, Indigenous, and People of Color. This includes the issue of land access and the need for each of these communities to have equitable quantities of land if current and future generations will ever have a chance to learn vocational agriculture, at a meaningful scale, from members of their own community. We also touch on how, as these are systemic issues, we aren’t individually at fault for the policies and practices that got us here, but that as we become aware of them we can take action in solidarity towards the liberation of all.
Find out more about Renard and his farm at: Vanguard Ranch Natural Gourmet
Renard is also the keynote speaker at the upcoming Together We Can Conference, presented by Future Harvest. I’ll be attending this virtual event on Thursday and Friday, January 13th and 14th, 2022. As this is completely online, it is a great way to start the New Year and I look forward to you joining me, Renard, and all the amazing speakers and presenters. Find out more and register to attend today at FutureHarvest.org.
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Stepping away from this interview, I want to reiterate what I said in the opening and that Renard and I touched on throughout our conversation. Systemic forces like those we discussed and how they impact all levels of society can be a lot to take in. Often, we are also, in the deepest meaning of the word, ignorant to these realities for a variety of reasons. Once we give ourselves that grace and become aware of these issues, we can then take meaningful action, to the best of our abilities.
If after listening to this interview you would like to learn more, I recommend reading some of the books that changed my perspective. Those include:
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein.
White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenburg.
The following past episodes of the show also, in their own way, expand on various pieces of the conversation with Renard.
Jeff Speck - Creating Walkable Cities
Brad Ward - Permaculture and Reforming International Development
Permaculture, Land, and Land Access
When you are ready to take action, look for your local mutual aid or sustainable agriculture organizations. Through them, you’ll meet folks looking to liberate rather than simply lift up. So, reach out to them for more information and to get involved.
I’d also like to hear your thoughts after listening to Renard and his perspective. Leave a comment in the show notes, or get in touch in the usual ways:
Email: The Permaculture Podcast
Until the next time, spend each day making the world a more just, beautiful, and egalitarian world while taking care of Earth, your self, and each other.
Resources
Systematic Land Theft by Jillian Hishaw, Esq. (Book)
Jane Elliot - Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise and Fighting Racism (Video)