Who We Are.
A RARE GEM FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE AND FOR THE STATE OF VERMONT
The Clemmons Family Farm stewards one of the rare African-American-owned farms in the state of Vermont.
According to the 2012 United States agriculture census, of the nearly 7000 farms in Vermont, only 19 are African-American-owned or operated. Of the 1.2 million acres of farmland in Vermont, only 3,960 acres (0.33%) are owned or principally operated by African-Americans. Nation-wide, less than half of one percent (0.4%) of farms in the United States are African-American-owned.
The Clemmons Family Farm stewards one of the rare African-American-owned farms in the state of Vermont.
According to the 2012 United States agriculture census, of the nearly 7000 farms in Vermont, only 19 are African-American-owned or operated. Of the 1.2 million acres of farmland in Vermont, only 3,960 acres (0.33%) are owned or principally operated by African-Americans. Nation-wide, less than half of one percent (0.4%) of farms in the United States are African-American-owned.
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WCAX Television News: June 2016. Eva McKend reporting.
Above: Channel 22 ABC News. February 22, 2018. Amanda Thibault and Executive Director of the Vermont Historical Society Stephen Perkins reporting.
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Located in Charlotte near beautiful Lake Champlain, the Clemmons farm is one of the largest African- American-owned historic farms in Vermont today. The farm includes 6 historic buildings (circa late 1700s-1800s), a spacious 1990’s residence, and 148 acres of prime farmland and forests, ponds and streams abundant with wildlife.
The Clemmons farm is one of the 22 landmark museums, cultural sites and historic markers on the State of Vermont's African-American Heritage Trail. It has been owned by Jackson and Lydia Clemmons since 1962. The farm is in a gradual transition phase from a private family-owned farm to being under the stewardship of a non-profit organization. While the 148-acre farm remains an African-American owned property, part of the farm is under a 20-year lease by the 501c3 nonprofit organization. In addition, all of the arts and culture programs on the farm and in Vermont's public schools and communities are held by Clemmons Family Farm. Inc. as a registered 501c3 Vermont non-profit organization. We actively promote the celebration of heritage and history as a continuum in which we learn from our past, shape our present, and invest in our future.
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We follow the values and traditions set by Jack and Lydia Clemmons when they arrived in the town of Charlotte, Vermont in 1962 and worked to create a loving and enriching community of friends, neighbors and visitors to their farm. Following in their footsteps, we encourage multicultural small group interactions where quality human-to-human connections and positive relationships begin on the Farm and continue off the Farm.
