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Althea Raiford |
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About 7 years ago my brother called me and told me he wanted to
become an Organic Farmer and wanted to use the land we inherited
from our great-grandmother, Florine to make it happen. At the
time I was active duty military and knew that there wasn’t a lot
I could do to make this happen for him or us as a family. My
response was, okay but right now with me being in the military I
don’t know how much help I can be, but let me know. So over the
years we spoke about it from time to time and decided to make it
happen after I retired. So when I retired 2 years ago, June
1st, we sat down and spoke about who, what, when, where, and the
how of making this happen for our family. The first thing that
came to mind was we are veterans someone out there has to be
able to point us in the right direction.
So I jumped on the computer and started looking up information
and found the Veteran’s Farmer Coalition (VCF). We reached out
to them and they gave us plenty of information and pointed us in
the right direction and continued to keep in contact with us.
So July rolls around and we go to our family reunion something
Matthew and I haven’t done together since he was 17 and I was
14. Needless to say the family was happy to see us there
together and had plenty of catching up to do. We sat down with
our Nana, Ophelia and our mother, Affie and told them about our
plan and what we wanted to do. To continue in the path of those
that came before us and go back to the land, become farmers. My
mother was shocked and our Nana shed tears of joy. We explained
that we were still in the planning process and to be patience
with us, but that we hoped to have things going by 2012. Our
Aunt Mary Lou and our mother spoke about our plans, and then our
Nana joined them in the conversation, all unbeknownst to Matthew
and me. The next day at the family reunion they pull us to the
side and gave us more land to make our dream of brining our land
to its former glory. All we could do was look at each other in
shock and disbelief. When the conversation was over we had 25
acres of land to farm. Once on the drive back to VA Matthew and
I could stop talking about how, what, and when we wanted this
happen. The VCF had told us about a program in CA that we
thought would work for us, but there was application process and
competition was stiff, 300-400 applicants for 25 positions. We
said okay let’s do the process to see how it works and then
reapply next year. We both decided that Matthew should go,
because I was enrolled in master’s program and wouldn’t be
finish for at least a year. I often times say things never go
according to your plan, but according to God’s plan for you.
Matthew beat out several 100 other applicants and our 2 year
plan, became a 6 month plan. VCF gave us a scholarship for him
to attend the program; we needed only pay for his plane ticket.
Blessing upon blessings!!! Then I applied for the grant
through them to for disable veterans to help them get their
farms started. I wasn’t sure that we would make the cut; we did
it!! Memorial Day weekend (Friday before Memorial Day 2010) we
received the call that we would be the recipients of the grant.
I would be the first African-American Navy female disabled
veteran to receive the grant in the history of the program. It
literally brought me to tears, me a barrier breaker!!
How did I get to the point above and begin to have a passion for
this type of work. Let me go back to when I was very young, I
was the youngest child that was on the farm among my cousins in
GA. This meant I was often times with my great-grandmother,
Florine. Who would tell me stories of how our family had come
to be part of the backbone of the community. The hard work and
relentless spirit of those that came before me; singing slave
songs, and spiritual hymns that she would tap the rhythms out
with her cane on the wooden porch. She taught me how to take
eggs from the hens in the backyard. Which by the way I was
terrified that the chickens would peck me; I remember her
putting her apron on me sending me in the coop and not allowing
my fears to paralyze me. Life lesson learned, fight through your
fear or go without reaching your goals. I spent many a day and
night with her reading, writing and her listening to my childish
dreams. I miss her so much! She always encouraged me to dream
big and never believe what others say limit me. I remember
picking pears from our Asian pear tree and making wine and
preserves. Picking grapes and picking up pecans for pie from
our yard. I have so many memories of those days and they bring
a sense of peace that nothing else does. I find pride and
strength when I am out there on our land. My Nana, Ophelia, in
the spring and summer would loan me out to neighboring farms
that she would get other vegetables from. I learned how pick
every kind of green (turnip, collards, mustards), watermelons,
cantaloupes, honeydew melons, peppers, and list goes on and on.
She had me pick cotton so that I understood what it was like for
those came before me. Life lesson learned; hard work equals a
strong body and mind. While in the military whenever I would
come home and would go out there and I would walk the property
with my Nana and she too would share stories of life on the farm
before I was born. The peace I find at Gilliard Terrace is
unique and special to me. I see it in my mind’s eye in its
glory being what it was once before and by the grace of God more
than it was. Matthew and I are just picking up where our family
left off, living off the land, building a stronger community,
and taking care of those we love. My passion for Gilliard Farms
comes from my love and appreciation for my family’s legacy and
my family’s future. |
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