The history of BFM begins with the founding of its sister organization, Black August in the Park, in 2015. The annual event, reminiscent of a Black family reunion, intentionally prohibited retail in order to foster a space for community and to elevate social justice organizations. The lack of an equivalent space for businesses led to the creation of the first Black Market in order to support local Black entrepreneurs.
The Black vendor fair was hosted annually on Black Friday until 2018, when we also hosted the 1st Black Farmers’ Market to intentionally include and support Black farmers along with entrepreneurs. The success of the event led to farmers asking us to host the Market more often. In 2019, we officially combined the Black Market with the Black Farmers’ Market. We also began to work with a group of farmers (who would later become a part of the BFM Trade Union) to create a membership farmers’ market.
In 2020, the pandemic brought a sudden demand for produce as a result of social distancing measures. This gave us another opportunity to be intentional about supporting small Black farmers, but this time, on a more frequent and consistent basis . We went to work growing our Trade Union to include over 30 black farmers and entrepreneurs.
We also expanded the Market into Raleigh and began hosting it weekly. Today, with the help and support of the community, we have facilitated wholesale opportunities for farmers in our network, created a fund to support new projects and the purchase of needed equipment for farmers in our Trade Union, increased the awareness of the importance of Black farmers in our area, enhanced the business growth and development for all vendors at the market, and have provided healthy food access in food deserts. Our future goal is to continue to expand self-sustaining Black marketplaces that help solve Black social and economic issues.
As an organization, we focus our support, market access, and business building resources on Black farmers and entrepreneurs to counteract historic barriers to land, capital, and market power. At the same time, our markets and community-facing programs are open to everyone seeking fresh food, community connection, and economic inclusion.
We envision a future where Black farmers and entrepreneurs have permanent, thriving spaces to grow their businesses, connect with the community, and shape the region’s food landscape. By 2028, we will open a permanent home in Durham. A vibrant hub for food, events, culture, and innovation that stands as a national model for community-powered economic development.
Yes, we have an amazing group of farmers, community supporters, and experts across diverse backgrounds serving as our organization’s Board.
We are working on a toolkit to share with the community to support the creation of markets that prioritize Black farmers and entrepreneurs. More to come!
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