The purpose of a blog isn’t to give a detailed back history on EVERY
possible thing that can come up EVERY time a post is made. It is a
snap shot at best.

Randolph and I were recently acknowledged for our work with developing
a Southeastern Regional Food System that speaks heavily for
economically disadvantaged farmers and minority farmers, those
underrepresented by current agricultural structures.

The tobacco might fetch $20k but the overhead for generating that type
of money from conventional tobacco will take a lot more of that profit
than would mixed organic production. And there are organic farmers in
Sampson, Pender and Columbus counties doing extremely well right where
they are. One of North Carolina’s biggest organic farms is in
Whiteville.

The incubator idea was Randolph’s. We spoke about what I knew about
it and provided some information on what is currently working and who
would help. Maybe the wording didn’t make clear that this would be
Randolph’s project from start to finish. I would not be involved in
anything but the idea. I have my own land to think about, located in
an area already served by various incubators.

What is so wrong about pushing an idea?

From your tone it is apparent that “cultural sensitivity” is a one-way
street. I speak about people as they are and my opinions as they are.
I do not live other people’s experiences and cannot write about them.
I cannot write from a black perspective, but I also should not write
in a culturally sensitive way because that only furthers the way we
seem to always be at odds with each other. It is better to tell the
truth and talk out our differences than to soften everything so that
racially and economic divides remain in place for generations. I
don’t believe in that and will not support that way of living.

There are 106 posts on the blog. Let me know when you’ve read them
all. Maybe you will understand my perspective a bit more and see that
maybe we are on the same side.

These kids are being taught to look anywhere but inward for what they may need to survive in life. Social services, food programs and politicians raising taxes on the rich to pay for the needs of the poor(ly motivated).

If karma was in effect, those that work hard would get rewarded not taxed more. Those that didn’t work hard would live lesser lives and not be taking handouts seized from the working people in the form of taxes.

I’ll never look at a self-sustaining system like this again without thinking that motivation has to be the grown product and not the produce. The produce are the fruits of labors and they are to be savored.

Also, your numbers are off. Five acres of prime flue-cured tobacco should fetch around $20K not a few hundred dollars. Burley would bring in a higher value. As far as your estimate for mixed organic vegetable production goes, that amount would more easily reached if Columbus County were closer to Cary and Chapel Hill rather than Lumberton or Wilmington.

Overall, the wording of your post implied an intention to further your own interests without taking into account whether the Keatons or their neighbors were already practicing economic self-determination. As Mr. Keaton made introductory inquiries about you and your background, you were already silently subdividing his farm! You “sat out” the McDonalds visit because you disagreed with the decision that was made to purchase food there. You were “saddened” but chose not to apeak up.

Apparently it was much easier to state your beliefs in a public forum yet far more difficult to express them as you stood on principle. If the young people that you met or Mr. Keaton were to view the content of your recent post, how do you think they would feel about your portrayal of them? Have they ever read your blog? Understanding others is a two-way street. A little empathy and cultural sensitivity go a very long way.

I am well aware of “food deserts” having grown up in one. However, this particular place would not be considered to be in one. The housing project where we picked up the kids is three blocks from a large Food Lion. The farm we went to is in a food desert though.

About McDonalds, the kids were stoked to be picking fresh veggies and they talked about what their families did with certain types of produce. Instead of building on that, we stopped at a fast food place and reinforced what marketers have been drilling into their young minds.

And with the incubator farm, this was something that Randolph mentioned and has mentioned more and more over the last year. I was riffing on the idea and have been over the last year as well. The “push” is not a bad thing considering that unemployment is epidemic in the county and folks are looking for new ideas. Why not an incubator farm? You can make a couple hundred dollars with tobacco on five acres or $50,000 in mixed organic vegetable production on the same amount of land. If the family doesn’t want to do it, fine. But the residents of the area are looking for *something*, so I will throw out any idea I can think of.

In short, you weren’t picking up on some subtle cultural nuances either. One example: whose dream is it to turn this farm into an incubator? If this is the Keaton homeplace, did it occur to you that the rest of his family might want to have some input on the incubator scenario especially since they already have their own homes and gardens on the property? Or that their family members are probably interred in that slave cemetery that you mentioned? Mentally coveting land for an incubator farm and stating that the neighbors need a “push” to accept the idea sounds almost as regrettable as the actions of the other out-of-county farmers Mr. Keaton mentioned. What are his goals for the future of the farm?

But the conclusion of this post is great.