Farm and Food File

Growing up lacking black in the red, white and blue

The first African American I really Still, he was indeed privileged and race — like the U.S. Department of Agriculture itself — interacted with was not an American but was at the heart of that privilege. He was that had to be court-ordered to stop systematic diswas, in fact, an African. He was a educated at a Land Grant university, was crimination against minority farmers and ranchers. never unemployed, always had a freezer filled with enough food to last months, he and his family never suffered any major illness or calamity, and always had health insurance if any did strike, and his biggest debt ever was to the local Ford dealer. I am privileged, too, and my privilege can be most certainly described as white. I’ve spent my working life comfortably ensconced in an industry — agriculture — known for its deeply insular whiteness. Except, of course, for the estimated 70 percent of all food produced by American agriculture which is Nigerian graduate student who served as a teaching assistant to the “discussion session” of a political science class I took at the Big U in 1973. That I was nearly 20 years old before ever having a conversation with any person of color other than farm-tanned Lutherans says more about my upbringing in 1960s rural southern Illinois than (I hope) me. Back then, many rural towns in southern Illinois were “sundown” communities — meaning it was illegal for anyone of color to spend the night in town. The deeply racist law didn’t need to be enforced; everyone knew it. Like many “tradiFARM & FOOD FILE By Alan Guebert OPINION That is my and my father’s shameful legacy; we learned early in our privileged, white lives to look away because that would make racism go away. And it did, for us. For its victims, however, racism remained and continues to remain a daily outrage … and, far too often, a life-threatening injustice. No single person can fix or forgive this age-old sin. Each of us, however, can use our privilege to inform ourselves, and to speak up as well as vote against it, its hatred, and its inequality. We owe that much — that little, really — to every American brother and sister regardless of race and creed. tions” of that age, though, it was buried in the culplanted, weeded, sprayed, harvested, milked, fed, The Farm and Food File is published weekly tural graveyard that became the 1960s. butchered, packaged, carried and stocked by the through the United States and Canada. Past colThe only time my father ever commented on race was the April 1968 evening Martin Luther King, Jr. brown and black backs and hands of its largest, hardest-working labor force. umns, events and contact information are posted at www.farmandfoodfile.com. v was murdered in Memphis. His remark that night, And then there are the many U.S. ag institutions too vile to repeat here, displayed a bigotry I had never heard from him before and, equally striking for me, I never heard from him again. I do suspect, however, he never forgot what he had said that night because 40 years later, in 2008, he Letters to the editor are always welcome. Send your letters to: Editor, The Land, P.O. Box 3169, Mankato, MN 56002 e-mail: editor@thelandonline.com smiled when telling me that he had voted for All letters must be signed and accompanied by a phone number (not for publication) to verify authenticity. Barack Obama for president. It was the only time he ever told me who he had voted for. Like most rural white Americans then and now, Dad spent most of his life in a sunshine-filled bubA passing so young ble of church, farm groups, and family friends who did not include one person who didn’t look like him. Today, some call that a life of “white privilege.” He’d have scoffed at that assessment and likely would have asked exactly what part of getting up at 5 a.m. nearly every day for 40 years to milk 100 Holsteins was privileged. By KRISTIN KVENO The Land Staff Writer This spring I had the opportunity to head out to a farm near St. George, Minn. and interview the Dummer family about their maple syrup business. Matt and she felt to be raising crops and animals with the family she held so dear. The love she felt for her family, the farm and her faith were evident in just our short time together that spring afternoon.

NOW HIRING his wife, Nicki were so welcoming and gave me a tour as well as explained the maple syrup Nicki passed away on June 6 in a tragic accident. Her legacy will continue in her precious making process. Right away, you children that seemed to be filled Please apply at http://www.southcentral.edu/HR by June 21, 2020. South Central College is seeking Full-Time Farm Business Management Faculty based in the Fairfax region. The primary instructional delivery method FBM instructors utilize individualized instruction at the student’s business. Instructors meet with the students on a regular basis to evaluate the business and develop individual educational plans. FBM instructors are responsible for selling credit courses to existing and new customers. Through increased sales, the instructor has increased earning potential above the guaranteed base salary. could sense the immense pride that Matt and Nicki had in continuing the family tradition of producing maple syrup each spring. Their kids, Zach, (age five), Luke (age three) and Leah (one and a half years old) loved helping with the maple syrup making and were eager to show me how it’s done. I had the chance to walk with Nicki out to check on the tapped maple trees. It was during that time she told me how blessed Photo by Kristin Kveno The most recent issue of The Land featured the Dummer family’s maple syrup operation. On June 6, Nicki Dummer (far right) was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. with that same love for family, faith and farming that she exuberated with so much joy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Dummer family and their community. A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family. It can be accessed at https://www.gofundme.com/f/matt-amp-nicki-dummer-family?fbclid=IwAR0f8Koy hVpOO5pL1YrfZMTXCKD29shvIz0jo74tk1Yxvb-qt4y2sTbKMmw v