The Black Farmers’ Market

Cultivating Roots: The Mission to Sustain Black Farmers and Build Healthy Communities

Mission To cultivate self-sustaining roots by encouraging healthy communities and supporting current and future Black farmers and entrepreneurs.

Why We Exist: Confronting Food Apartheid and Systemic Inequity

The fight for equitable food systems is a fight against systemic barriers. Our work is driven by a stark reality: too many people in our local community—and across the nation—are denied consistent access to the healthy, affordable food they need to thrive.

The Reality of Food Apartheid

The term Food Apartheid describes the systemic, often racially discriminatory, policies and structures that create and perpetuate uneven food access. In North Carolina, this inequality is concrete and measurable:

• Local Impact: As of 2015, over 170,000 Wake County residents and more than 69,000 Durham County residents lived in neighborhoods classified as having low access to grocery stores. This limited access means families spend more time and money to get to fresh food, or they rely on options that simply don’t offer the nutrition their families need.
• A Deeper Divide: Recent data further underscores this gap. In Durham County, the rate of food insecurity for Black residents (24%) is significantly higher than for White residents (9%). We exist to bridge this gap, ensuring that proximity to fresh food is not a luxury, but a right.

Reshaping the Narrative of Healthy Living

For some, healthy eating can feel completely unattainable. Social norms, classism, and racism have created the harmful misconception that nutritious food is only for certain economic or social groups. We are here to change that perception. Healthy food is foundational to all lives and should be accessible and celebrated by everyone.

Protecting a Legacy: Support for Black Farmers

The backbone of a healthy food system is the farmer. Yet, a history of institutionalized racism has devastated the Black farming community, creating a profound, ongoing wealth gap.

The Erosion of Black Farmland

Black farmers were once the heart of Southern agriculture, holding an estimated 16 million acres of farmland at their peak in 1910. Today, that number has plummeted.

• National Decline: While there are over 3 million farmers in America today, less than 2% are Black.
• The Cause: This massive decline is the direct result of discriminatory land laws, the denial of federal loans, legal exploitation through tactics like “heirs property” seizure, and other institutional practices that deliberately impacted a once thriving network. This loss represents over $326 billion in lost generational wealth for Black families.
• Local Snapshot: In North Carolina, Black farmers run only about 1,500 of the state’s more than 42,000 farms, underscoring the urgency of our mission to protect and support them.

By supporting the Black Farmers’ Market, you are not just buying food; you are actively working to reshape our agricultural systems by protecting and investing in this essential legacy.

How We Create Space: Building a Resilient Food Community

The Black Farmers’ Market is our central tool for impact—an inclusive, fun, and community-centered marketplace designed to foster health, wealth, and connection.

Healthy Food For All

We believe eating fresh, farm-grown produce is one of the best ways to enhance your health. We work every day to demonstrate that eating healthy is not a luxury for some, but an affordable, accessible part of a flourishing community.

• Direct Relationships: When you shop with us, you get to meet and talk to your farmer or rancher in person. Chances are, the produce you purchase was picked only hours before it reaches your hands! This direct connection guarantees freshness and quality unlike big supermarkets.
• Sustainability: We support farmers who employ sustainable practices, ensuring we are nourishing the land for future generations while delivering the highest quality produce today.

Support Black Farmers, Build Community Wealth

Shopping at the Black Farmers’ Market is a powerful act of economic justice. It allows you to keep dollars circulating directly within the Black community, creating a self-sustaining cycle of wealth and opportunity for our vendors and their families.

Get Involved!

We invite you to be part of this vital movement.

• Attend An Event and experience the vibrant energy and fresh bounty of the market.
• Meet Our Vendors and build direct relationships with the amazing Black farmers and entrepreneurs fueling our market.

Introducing the BFM Cultivators Club: Join the Movement!

Love fresh, local food? Want to support Black farmers and entrepreneurs while unlocking exclusive perks? Join the BFM Cultivators Club today!

As a member, you’ll save money, get insider access, and be part of a movement transforming the way our community shops for fresh food. Choose from two membership levels and enjoy discounts, giveaways, and VIP merch—all while fueling a market that uplifts Black farmers and business owners.

Spots are limited—don’t miss out! Sign up now and start reaping the rewards.

Categories

• Farmers’ Market

Features

• Free Parking
• Handmade
• Natural Ingredients
• Plant Based
• Vegan

Regions

• Durham, NC.

Location