Question 1

How do I find Black farmers near me?

Accepted Answer

Go to the Directory and use the interactive map. Zoom in on your area, filter by state or region, and see who's growing near you. Every listing links directly to the producer — no middleman, no app to download, no account required to browse.

Question 2

Can I actually buy directly from Black farmers listed here?

Accepted Answer

That's the whole point. Every listing includes how to reach the producer directly — their website, Instagram, email, phone, or farm stand info. Some do CSAs, some do farmers markets, some sell online. Go to their page and reach out. Cut out the middleman completely.

Question 3

What kinds of producers can I find here?

Accepted Answer

More than you might expect. Vegetable farmers, fruit growers, herb specialists, beekeepers, ranchers, seed keepers, plant vendors, nursery operators, fermenters, foragers, herbalists, mushroom cultivators, aquaponics growers, and more. If it comes from the land and a Black person is behind it — it belongs here and we want it listed.

Question 4

Do any of the farms accept SNAP / EBT?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and we track it. When producers submit their listing, we ask about SNAP/EBT — whether they accept it, are working toward it, or are interested. That information shows on their profile. Filter in the directory and look for it specifically.

Question 5

Does this cover the whole country or just the South?

Accepted Answer

All 50 states. Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas — yes. But also Illinois, New York, California, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, and everywhere else Black people are growing food. Urban farms, rural farms, backyard operations that turned into businesses. If you're growing, you qualify.

Question 6

What exactly is The Black Agrarian?

Accepted Answer

It's a free, searchable, interactive database of Black farmers, Black-owned farms, Black food producers, Black growers, beekeepers, seed keepers, herbalists, nurseries, cooperatives, land trusts, and agricultural organizations across the United States. Built by a Black woman farmer. Maintained for the community. Not a product — a public good.

Question 7

Who built this?

Accepted Answer

Erica Andrea McRae — known as Erica Plants. She's a Black woman farmer, licensed seed seller, nursery operator, curriculum developer, and the founder of Plant & Heal, Gardening Under Influence, GrowFluencers, and Ms. Erica's Garden Classroom. The directory is the infrastructure layer beneath all of it. Her approach: Grow With What You Got. This is what she built with what she had — for everyone who's doing the same.

Question 8

Is this free? Like actually free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Zero dollars. No listing fee. No search fee. No premium tier. No ads. No commission on sales. No 'featured listing' upsell. Free to list in, free to browse, free forever. That's the mission — visibility shouldn't cost the people who already have the least access to resources.

Question 9

What's the idea behind this directory?

Accepted Answer

It's a free, producer-controlled directory built and maintained by a working Black woman farmer. Producers manage their own listings — updating products, availability, and contact details whenever their business changes. It's free to list and free to browse, with no fees, ads, or paid placement. Listings sit on an interactive map so visitors can search by location, specialty, and service and reach producers directly. The Black Agrarian is part of a larger ecosystem of Black agricultural organizations, directories, educators, and community knowledge — our contribution to that collective work.

Question 10

Who can get listed?

Accepted Answer

Black-owned, Black-led, and Black-serving agricultural businesses and organizations. That's farmers, growers, food producers, plant vendors, beekeepers, herbalists, seed keepers, nurseries, cooperatives, land trusts, food hubs, agricultural educators, and more. Read the Listing Standards for the full breakdown — but the short version is: if you're Black and you work with the land in any form, there's a place for you here.

Question 11

I'm a plant seller / vendor / herbalist — not a 'farmer' farmer. Do I still qualify?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Absolutely yes. This directory was not built for the narrow image of what a farmer looks like. If you sell plants at a pop-up, keep seeds, grow herbs on a balcony and sell them, run an online nursery, make herbal products — you qualify. The word 'agrarian' is bigger than a tractor and a field. We want all of it.

Question 12

How do I submit my listing?

Accepted Answer

Hit Submit on the nav bar. Fill out the form — takes about 10 minutes. Tell us what you grow, where you are, how people can find you and buy from you. We review every submission before it goes live and send you an email when it's approved.

Question 13

How long does it take to get approved?

Accepted Answer

Usually a few business days. If we need anything from you — a clarification, a missing detail — we'll email you. During busy seasons it might take a little longer, but we will always follow up. You won't just disappear into a void.

Question 14

Can I update my listing after it's live?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Log in and submit a change request through your dashboard. New photos, updated hours, different products this season — all of it. Your listing should move with your business, not be frozen at the moment you first submitted it.

Question 15

What does 'Self-Attested' mean on a listing?

Accepted Answer

Listings show specific trust labels — such as 'Listing ownership claimed,' 'Identity reviewed,' and 'Business information reviewed' — only when our team has completed that particular review. A listing with no trust labels means the owner self-attested the information and it has not been independently reviewed. See the full legend on our Verification Standards page so you know exactly what each label does — and does not — confirm.

Question 16

Does being listed mean The Black Agrarian endorses my business?

Accepted Answer

No. The directory is a visibility and discovery tool. Being listed means you're findable — not that we've certified, licensed, or audited you. We're not the USDA and we're not claiming to be.

Question 17

I found wrong information on a listing. What do I do?

Accepted Answer

Hit the Report button on that listing, or go to the Contact page and select 'Request a Correction.' We take accuracy seriously. Every report gets reviewed.

Question 18

What is '500 Years Rooted'?

Accepted Answer

It's our flagship educational experience — a deep, immersive look at five centuries of Black agricultural history in North America. Starting in 1526 with San Miguel de Gualdape. Moving through the Great Migration. The Green Book farm routes. The land loss crisis. And the renaissance happening right now. It's our story, and it's on the site. Go read it.

Question 19

I want to support Black farmers but don't know where to start.

Accepted Answer

Open the directory. Search your state. Find a cousin near you. Buy from them directly. Follow them on Instagram. Tell three people. Show up to their table at the farmers market. That direct relationship — your money going straight to a Black grower — is the whole point of this thing. Start there.

Question 20

How do I contact The Black Agrarian?

Accepted Answer

Visit the Contact page. We read every message — general questions, media requests, corrections, partnership proposals, accessibility concerns. All of it.

Questions We Actually Get Asked

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