STATEMENT
We want to thank our friends, neighbors, and allies for the outpouring of support and encouragement in response to the Vermont Human Rights Commission’s report released on June 23, 2021.
We are inspired and comforted by our community’s feedback and
shared dismay. Read our full statement here.
The Clemmons Family Farm: A Rare Gem
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The Clemmons farm is one of the rare African-American owned farms in Vermont and in the nation: only 0.4% of all farms in the United States are Black/African-American owned. The farm is also one of the 22 landmark sites on Vermont's African-American Heritage Trail. The Clemmons farm and three of its historic buildings are lovingly stewarded by the 501c3 nonprofit organization Clemmons Family Farm, Inc., under a 20-year renewable lease.
We offer African-American and African diaspora history, arts and culture programs designed to address community development opportunities and challenges, to build a loving multicultural community, and create a special sense of place. We support a network of nearly 200 Vermont African-American/African diaspora artists with opportunities for social networking, professional development, a platform for greater visibility, paid engagements, relief grants, and creation grants.
We are a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization. Your donations are tax-deductible.
We offer African-American and African diaspora history, arts and culture programs designed to address community development opportunities and challenges, to build a loving multicultural community, and create a special sense of place. We support a network of nearly 200 Vermont African-American/African diaspora artists with opportunities for social networking, professional development, a platform for greater visibility, paid engagements, relief grants, and creation grants.
We are a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization. Your donations are tax-deductible.
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African-Americans comprise 13.4% of the population in the United States and own just 0.4% of the land.
During the lifetimes of 98-year-old Jack and Lydia Clemmons, African-Americans have lost nearly 93% of their land assets in the country: from ~44 million acres in the 1920's to only 3.5 million acres today. |
Above: Watch a 2-minute video that illustrates the significance of the Clemmons Family Farm as a land and cultural heritage asset.
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Over the past 100 years, African-American land ownership has declined by nearly 93%, while white land ownership which has declined by approximately 3%.
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Two Ways You Can Donate to the Clemmons Family Farm
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Your support will help us to keep the Clemmons farmland and buildings available for Black artists and farmers, our wider community, and other visitors to enjoy during scheduled tours, programs and events. Your donation will also help us compensate our collaborating artists for their time and talent in leading our arts and culture programs.
Two ways to donate: 1. MAKE A DONATION ONLINE: We are a registered 501c3 non-profit organization. Tax-deductible gifts can be made with online payment to the Clemmons Family Farm, Inc. by clicking on the DONATE button to the right to begin: |
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2. MAIL A CHECK TO THE CLEMMONS FAMILY FARM
Tax-deductible gifts can also be made by check directly to CLEMMONS FAMILY FARM, INC. Please mail to:
Clemmons Family Farm, Inc.
2213 Greenbush Road
Charlotte, Vermont 05445
Tax-deductible gifts can also be made by check directly to CLEMMONS FAMILY FARM, INC. Please mail to:
Clemmons Family Farm, Inc.
2213 Greenbush Road
Charlotte, Vermont 05445
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Above: Creating in the Company of Wild Irises: A free annual community arts and culture program, led by Clemmons family members and collaborating artists, to celebrate the arrival of the wild irises every Spring on the Clemmons farm.
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Your donations to our arts and culture programs help us to compensate our team of Vermont artists of African descent who share their talents and skills with schools and communities. Your donations also help us to keep the Clemmons farm available for enjoyment by the community during scheduled tours and events. The Farm includes 6 historic buildings, 90 acres of prime agricultural soils, and nearly 60 acres of forest and woodlands. |
Preserving the Clemmons Family Farm is about more than saving a beautiful land asset: it is about saving a rare cultural heritage asset for our community, state and nation. The farm is one of the handful of African-American owned farms in Vermont and the nation: just 0.4% of all farms in the United States are African-American owned.
Jack and Lydia Clemmons have owned the farm since 1962-- never selling a single acre out of love for the land and for their vision of retaining it as a place for all people to learn, commune and celebrate around African-American heritage.
Against the backdrop of the dramatic loss of African-American-owned farmland in the United States, this beautiful Vermont farm, imbued with generations of family history and storytelling, is an extraordinary gem.
Jack and Lydia Clemmons have owned the farm since 1962-- never selling a single acre out of love for the land and for their vision of retaining it as a place for all people to learn, commune and celebrate around African-American heritage.
Against the backdrop of the dramatic loss of African-American-owned farmland in the United States, this beautiful Vermont farm, imbued with generations of family history and storytelling, is an extraordinary gem.
Thank you for supporting our programs and helping us preserve a rare gem
in Vermont and in the nation- for everyone to enjoy!
in Vermont and in the nation- for everyone to enjoy!
