Southeastern African-American Farmers Organic Network (SAAFON)

SAAFON Supports A Garden In Kenya

As a part of SAAFON's goal to encourage and provide information on the strong connection that our Black farmers agriculture has with farmers from the African Diaspora, SAAFON has provide support for a garden/farm in Kenya. A part of Slow Food International 1,000 Gardens In Africa Initiative, all the gardens grow organically and grow foods that are a part of their culture.

SAAFON is now in Africa!!!

» Click Here to learn more

Know Your Organics

Organic
Organic produce is grown without synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Organic meat and diary livestock receive no antibiotics or added hormones and are raised on organic feed. Organic products never use genetic engineering or irradiation.

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Important Facts

There are 60 million plus farmland acres in the Southeast (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC).
Of these 294,000+ farms, there are 25,519 minority farm owners. 16,872 are African-American, 5,080 are Hispanic, 2,280 are Native-Americans.
Organic cropping systems use about 30% less fossil fuel energy than conventional systems.
The U.S. is 2.263 billion acres, of which 745 million acres, or 33 percent, is forested.

Come To The Table - A Fundraiser for SAAFON

SAAFON has been working and dedicated to increase the number of Black Farmers and save a very precious resource…the farmer's land.
SAAFON will represent the Southeast and take the story of our Black Farmers contributions to an International Food Conference...Terra Madre'/Salone Del Gusto.
SAAFON's presence at this event will make the historic link between the culture of African and African-American farmers foods and production.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will provide support for:

Underserved Farmers Organic Certification Training
African-American Farmer's Terra Madre Attendance

Click the images below to view the interviews of some of our SAAFON Farmers:

Matthew Raiford of
Gilliard Farms in Brunswick, Georgia

Sandra Simone of
Huckleberry Hill Farm in Talladega, Alabama

» CLICK HERE to Make Your Tax Deductible Donation Today!

Special Announcement

SAAFON Selected as U.S. Delegates to 2012 Slow Food Terra Madre International Conference in Turin, Italy!!

» Click Here to read letter of support from Slow Food USA

Applications for SAAFON's Organic Certification Training 2013 Are Now Available!

Deadline: Friday, December 14, 2012

» Click Here for details

Roots of Change

History of African-Americans in Agriculture

Dr. Owusu Bandele

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The Southeastern African-American Farmers Organic Network (SAAFON), a project of the SoGreen Network (a 501 c3 organization), is a network of farmers using sustainable growing methods. The Network is comprised of small and limited resource farmers that are either certified organic or growing organically. Currently SAAFON farmers are located in six states and the U. S. Virgin Islands: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and St. Croix Island. The goal is to add ten (10) farmers to the Network each year. Farmer participation in the Network is free. SAAFON has been recognized as the only African-American farmers' organization/Network of its type in the United States.

The Network is governed by an Advisory Board. The Advisory Board consists of a farmer(s) representative from each state that is a part of SAAFON's regional network. It is through this Advisory Board that the farmer members determine the sharing of resources, information and marketing outlets.

The results of this SAAFON project have shown that given proper information and technical support small and limited resource farmers, especially African-American, Native American, and women farmers will consider organic production as a viable agricultural and economic alternative

To provide small and limited resource farmers with trainings, technical assistance, and information to grow organically.
To ensure the farmers in the network have access to available programs and services provided by universities, extension and research centers, agricultural organizations, and regional mentoring programs.
To develop a farmers' collaborative and network for the purpose of marketing their organically grown products locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally
To educate African American farmers about the importance of maintaining the cultural heritage of our foods through seed saving, planting techinques and archiving of historic information and publications.