Drought conditions in NC. The Broadside: Where have all the Black farmers gone? Patrick Brown of Brown Family Farms

0:01:00Drought conditions persist across North CarolinaNorth Carolina is experiencing its driest season in nearly 20 years. WCNC Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich talks about the drought, how it compares to past record dry seasons in North Carolina and what to expect in the weeks to come. Brad Panovich, chief meteorologist, WCNC in Charlotte0:13:00The Broadside: Where have all the Black farmers gone?A little over a hundred years ago, there was an abundance of Black farmers in the U.S., and the vast majority of them farmed in the South. But today, less than 2% of farmers are Black, and what was once a flourishing vocation in Black America has now become something of a novelty. Yet despite decades of decline and documented discrimination, Black farmers are finding ways to thrive as they inspire the next generation of growers.Shirlette Ammons, creator of the podcast series TendingAallyah Wright, rural issues reporter for Capital B News0:33:00NC farmer who bought the land where his ancestors were enslavedIn 2021, Warren County farmer Patrick Brown bought the plantation where his ancestors were once enslaved. He’s working to build a just and sustainable food system, to enrich both the soil and his community, on land once used to extract and exploit. (This encore interview originally aired January 15, 2025.)Patrick Brown, farmer and manager of Brown Family Farms and owner of Connect Group, LLCRelated: Read a piece in The Bitter Southerner about Patrick Brown titled “Black Earth.”