EVENTS
Time for an Awakening Radio Program
(Part of the 900AM, WURD Family)
timeforanawakening@gmail.com
FOR RELEASE JULY 31, 2008
PRESS RELEASE
Black Farmers To Sell Goods In Philadelphia
August 16, 2008
Philadelphia, PA--- The Black Farmers and Agricultural Association (BFAA) will be selling fruits and vegetables in North Philadelphia on Saturday, August 16, 2008. The event will begin at 8:00 a.m. - until sold out. The address is 2811-2815 North Broad Street, at the open lot between Somerset Street and Glenwood Avenue. The produce will be sold in an “open-air” atmosphere, just like a Farmers Market.
The Black Farmers and Agricultural Association is a non-profit organization that caters to the concerns of the Black farmers. The organization, which was formed in 1997, has 21 state chapters and a nationwide membership in excess of 1,500 farmers. The Association educates and informs people about the plight of African American farmers. BFFA was also organized to monitor the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the historic 1999 Class Action Lawsuit Settlement, Pigford vs. Glickman. This case awarded 20,000 Black farmers, $2.5 billion in damages for loan discrimination committed by the federal government. As of May 2002, only 40% of the farmers who have filed actually received their awards. BFAA is committed to seeing that every Black farmer receives their award settlement and the USDA stops its continuing practice of discrimination against Black farmers.
Some of the items that will be available for purchase on Saturday, August 16th in Philadelphia will be melons, bell peppers, sweet corn, string beans, lima beans, eggplant, tomatoes and a variety of other produce.
For more information on this topic you can contact Elliot at 267-205-1570 or Reggie at 215-370-3038, email: timeforanawakening@gmail.com
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Black Farmer Class Action Lawsuit focus of workshops at
Federation’s Annual Meeting EPES, ALABAMA....
The Pigford Black Farmer Class Action Lawsuit will be the centerpiece of workshops on Friday afternoon, August 15, 2008 as part of the 41st Annual Meeting of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land assistance Fund.
Federation Executive Director, Ralph Paige said, “ we want to be sure that every Black farmer is fully informed of the provisions in the new Farm Bill which provide late filers in the Pigford Class Action lawsuit another chance to have their claims heard.”
Lawyers from the firm of Chestnut, Sanders, Sanders and Pettaway of Selma, who have been involved in the case from the beginning will be present to explain the details and rights of farmers in the case.
The new Farm Bill, which recently passed Congress, overriding a presidential veto by George W. Bush, provides $100 million to begin to pay the claims of farmers who submitted late in the original case. Over 65,000 people filed a late claim in the original Pigford case between October 12, 1999 and September 15, 2000 which was the original deadline. Thousands more also applied after the deadline.
All claimants must meet the basic eligibility standards of the Pigford case which include being an African-American farmer who farmed or attempted to farm in the fifteen year period between 1981 and 1996; trying to get loan or other farm assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during the same period; and making a written or verbal complaint of the treatment received from USDA.
“Farmers must understand that this is a class action lawsuit with certain specific parameters and timeframes. It is not for any Black person who ever farmed but only for those who farmed during the period 1981 to 1996 and who tried to get a loan or other services from the government. There is plenty of misinformation about the case, so we hope people will come to the workshops and get their questions answered.,” said Paige.
According to Paige, there are people in the case with various specific circumstances and the Federation hopes to answer their questions and clarify their status in the case as part of the workshop.
Friday Workshop Schedule
The schedule for Friday includes a full day of workshops beginning at 9:30 AM. The first two workshops will be on Women in Agriculture and Opportunities in Forestry, including a new program to pay farmers with trees for the carbon those trees sequester from the atmosphere. This program is used to reduce and offset carbon dioxide emissions by industries which contribute to global warming. Landowners may be able to earn $5 to $10 per acre of trees, per year, that they have depending on the number. size and management practices employed in caring for the trees.
From 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM there will be a workshop on all the provisions of the new Farm Bill that will be beneficial to African-American family farmers. This will include a discussion of set-asides in conservation programs, credit, specialty crops, rural development and other areas in the new legislation.
Ed Shafer, Secretary of Agriculture, will be the luncheon speaker and discuss the new Farm Bill and policies of his department to benefit family farmers in the Federation’s membership. Shafer the former Governor of North Dakota was selected to serve as Secretary of Agriculture in January 2008 by President Bush and confirmed by the U. S. Senate. .
After Shafer’s keynote speech, from 2:00 to 5:00PM, the Federation will hold the workshop and question and answer session on the Black Farmer Class Action Lawsuit. This workshop will be followed by a fish fry and entertainment by Blues musician Willie King of Pickens County and his band.
On Saturday, August 16, 2008, the Federation will hold a prayer breakfast followed by its annual membership business meeting and presentation of reports by the Board of Directors, Executive Director and staff. At the end of the Saturday business meeting awards will be presented to cooperatives and members for outstanding achievements.
Fundraiser to be held in Birmingham
On Thursday, August 14, 2008 at the Sheraton Birmingham in Birmingham, Alabama the Federation will hold its annual fundraiser and award the Honorable John Lewis (D-GA) with the Estelle Witherspoon Lifetime Achievement Award. This is in acknowledgment of Lewis’ outstanding leadership that has transformed laws and policies that have led to a more just society. His contributions are unparalleled.
Event Chair for this year’s Estelle Witherspoon Lifetime Achievement Award Dinner is the Honorable Artur Davis (D-AL).
The Estelle Witherspoon event will begin with the Honoree Reception at 5:30 PM at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (520 16th Street, N) with the honoree John Lewis and event chair Artur Davis; a General Reception at 6:00 PM. at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, Ballroom Foyer and the Program and Dinner at 7:00 PM Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, Ballroom. The hotel is located at 2101 Richard Arrington, Jr. Boulevard Birmingham, Alabama 35203.
For more information on the Federation’s Annual Meeting check the organization’s website at www.federation.coop or call 404/765-0991 in Atlanta or 205/652-9676 in Epes.
Note: The Federation/LAF, now in its 41st year, assists Black family farmers across the South with farm management, debt restructuring, alternative crop suggestions, marketing expertise and a whole range of services to ensure family farm survivability.