Todd Western III’s family settled in Mahaska County in 1864, a year after Abraham Lincoln issued his famous Emancipation Proclamation. More than 160 years later, the family still farms the same land.
As one would imagine, the Western family has weathered a lot over the course of their time on the land: price fluctuations, weather changes, and racial discrimination. But it was the sudden death of Western’s father that changed the course of his life and allowed him to find his calling.
Listen to Western tell the story of his family and how his passion for agriculture spurred him on to form the Iowa Farmers of Color.
Voices:
Todd Western III — Iowa Farmer and Senior Donor Advisor at Greater Twin Cities United Way
Resources:
You can find more information about the Iowa Farmers of Color at:
* https://www.iowafarmersofcolor.com/
* https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564629460814
* Instagram - @iowafarmersofcolor
You can learn more about the class action suit against the US Department of Agriculture by Black Farmers (Pigford v Glickman) here.
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🎧 Produced by the Iowa Food System Coalition. Edited by Tommy Hexter.
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