'We're looking out for whole towns:' Meet the Black female farmers making strides in agriculture

Did you know there are more than 1.2 million female farmers in the country, but only 1% are Black female producers?

Despite being a minority in the industry, those women are tackling vital issues, like food insecurity and sustainability.

The National Women in Agriculture Association held its national conference in Compton this week.

The two-day event brought together a community of women farmers dedicated to agriculture, sustainability and addressing the pressing issue of poverty affecting communities of color.

"We're grateful to [the Department of Agriculture] and [Natural Resources Conservation Service] for thinking of Compton, and thinking of a neighborhood in a community that typically might be overlooked to host a national conference about women being in agriculture," said Lori Gay, the president and CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County.

National Women in Agriculture Association Director and Co-Founder Dr. Tammy Gray-Steele said it's all about making sure they bring resources from the government, specifically the USDA, into underserved communities.

"The second part is making sure we highlight what women are doing in agriculture," she said.

The conference also shed light on the many challenges Black female farmers face.

"We're looking out for whole communities and towns, so being able to do that in minority communities just puts the cherry on a very big cake where we've been excluded, we've been disenfranchised, we've been told we can't do it," said Gay.

On the second day of the conference, attendees also participated in a hands-on farm tour where they learned about innovative farming techniques.

"It's really a partnership effort to bridge some of the connections between women farmers where there really is a food desert that exists and the need for demonstrating to people how they can grow sustainably small landscapes," said Deputy State Conservationist Raeann Dubay.

Organizers said the conference is merely a stepping stone in creating an equitable and sustainable agricultural landscape.

For more information on how the community can contribute, you can visit nwiaa.org .