Tuskegee receives million dollar endowment for organic production
A new endowment fund at Tuskegee University aims to increase the amount of Black leaders that will enter into organic agriculture.
Joe K. Kpomblekou, Tuskegee research professor of plant and soil science, said that students come to him wanting to get involved in organic food, but they don't know how to get started.
A million dollar endowment, with another million matched from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, from the Clif Bar & Company. The endowment will support organic farming and agriculture practices through the College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences.
Kpomblekou explained that organic production has been lagging in the southeast compared to the rest of the country. The southeast has a warm climate and high rainfall patterns: organic matter decomposes quickly.
"So, those two conditions are not favorable for organic production," he said. "So, to tackle those issues, we need money."
Tuskegee University's forays into innovative farming are not new: G. W. Carver used to work at the university. Carver's work includes work on soil chemistry and crop rotation. This endowment will contribute to the legacy of Tuskegee's impact on the agricultural world.
Last year, they had a grant from the National Organic Program, Kpomblekou said. So, they brought in summer interns and many became interested in organic production. Some changed their mind about their long-term goals after the experience.
One intern told Kpomblekou that he was going to pursue organic production once he finished high school.
"So, those are some of the stories that we are hearing and this is very encouraging," he said.
Furthermore, the racial breakdowns of the organic farming world do not reflect the world, at large.
Only 0.5% of organic farmers are Black-owned, per the release announcing the endowment. Tuskegee is a Historically Black College or University-- the first HBCU to receive a Clif Bar Endowment.
"We want the organic industry to look like the country," Kpomblekou said.
Jemma Stephenson is the children and education reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at jstephenson@gannett.com or 334-261-1569.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Tuskegee University receives two million dollar endowment
