Sisters Michelle (left) and Brielle Wright started Farmer’s B.A.G. (Black, Abundant, and Gifted) last April.
Brielle Wright ’11
CAES alumna Brielle Wright and her sister Michelle always wanted to serve their community through a combination of agriculture, Black identity and entrepreneurship.
They made their dream come true last April when they started Farmer’s B.A.G. (Black, Abundant, and Gifted), a farm in their hometown of Elizabethtown in Bladen County. The farm in southeastern North Carolina operates on land once owned by their great-grandmother.
Their experience is featured in a story on the Women AdvaNCe website, “Black women are aiming to change the landscape of agriculture.”
They began by selling strawberries and have expanded their operation to include jams, jellies, syrups, pickled watermelon rinds, pickled peppers and seasonal products, according to the website, which is dedicated to improving the lives of North Carolina women and families.
“When people think of Black people and farming, they think of it from a hardship standpoint,” Brielle, who graduated from A&T in 2011 with a bachelor’s in agribusiness, told Women AdvaNCe. “We want to change that narrative.
“There’s not a lot of us on the corporate side advocating for change or an increase of underrepresented groups in these corporate spaces who are deciding what agriculture and food security look like for us. All that pours into what we’re doing with the Farmer’s B.A.G.”
Brielle now works for the USDA, mentoring student interns, coordinating work life wellness events, and promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and employee retention. She credits the mentoring of Professor Paula Faulkner, Ph.D., with helping her succeed at A&T, where she was a leader in MANRRS, and land a job with USDA.
“Dr. Faulkner ensured that I strived for excellence,” Brielle said. “She even supported me in grad school as part of my thesis committee. Dr. Faulkner continues to create opportunities for me to give back at A&T. She is more than a professor, she is family!
“I learned during my time at A&T that agriculture is more than farming. I learned through internships and MANRRS that there is a need to engage the youth in positive ag experiences early on. More recently, we also realized the need to heal Black and brown people from the trauma they have experienced with the land in order for the profession of agriculture to be supported by Black and brown families. We also realize the need for funding and exposure for Black and brown people in agriculture.”
She traveled frequently for work before the pandemic but has been working remotely for the past year. Remote work made it possible for her to focus on farming.
Michelle, a graduate of Winston-Salem State University, works for a rural health department. Her studies at WSSU opened her eyes to food disparities and their impacts, she told the website.
“I’ve learned about the impact of food on your mental and your cognitive behavior,” Michelle said. “In areas where there are higher numbers of people of color, food was more likely to be bruised, didn’t have the same luster, and there wasn’t a lot of variety.
“You find these limited options and people say you’re not in a food desert. Technically, they can access certain things but you’re not giving me the opportunity to access good quality foods or a variety. You’re not allowing me to expand my palate. You’re not allowing me to have the access to the things that could benefit me mentally and physically. From a public health perspective, you look at how all these things come into play.”
Finding funding and business mentorship have proven to be challenges, but the challenges are outweighed by the reward of creating community.
“We have met so many farmers, researchers, and people who are interested in what we are doing,” Brielle said. “Those conversations and relationships have sparked so many ideas and opportunities for collaboration. We know God is going to help us to accomplish all of this in some way, form or fashion.”
Learn more about the farm on the Farmer’s B.A.G. Facebook page.
