When Nancy and I read a story in the Boston Glove about the owners of this farm and their dedicated commitment to serve their community and especially those in need in Springfield where they live, we were both immediately smitten. Theirs is an amazing and inspiring story. I picked up the following from the article, written by Jocelyn Ruggiero, who writes stories about the challenges facing Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers in New England.
Hameed Bello initially immigrated from Nigeria to Houston when he was 15, eventually moving to Maryland where he met his wife, Ayao, and later moved to Springfield. Ayo, also born in Nigeria, had immigrated to Maryland when she was only 6 years old. They each came to this country to make a better life for themselves, and that they did: He is a pharmacist. He graduates next month from Western New England University with a PharmD, MBA and MSc Law degree. Ayo is a cybersecurity consultant.
When they moved to Springfield, they immediately noticed how difficult it is for Springfield residents in their community to obtain healthy, fresh foods. They would have to somehow get to a Walmart and haul their groceries back, but the PVTA buses impose a 3-bag limit. Occasionally Hameed would drive his elderly neighbor to the store. As quoted in the Boston Globe article, he says: “If they’re not at the age where they can walk and carry those bags home, they have no access to that food…” He also observed that when they do get to the store and want to buy healthy, fresh foods, they find them very expensive. They are faced with the dilemma of eating healthy for one meal or “going to a bodega and buying a lot of all this other food for the same price and eating for three meals.” (The Massachusetts Public Health Association identified Springfield as having the second-lowest per capita income in the state.)
The couple got involved in Springfield-based food justice organizations. They wanted to know how they could help and found the best answer was to start their Agric Organics Urban Farm. Farming was not foreign to them. In Nigeria, agricultural science was part of the elementary and middle school education. Hameed studied crop and soil science, horticulture, harvesting techniques, and organic pest and weed eradication methods and put what he learned into practice in a field on school grounds. On weekends, he learned from family members who depended on crops for their livelihood. In Houston, he volunteered at friends’ commercial farms, learning more about farming technology. He continued learning from a mentor at a farm in Maryland. Growing up in Maryland, Ayo learned from her grandmother and mother how to tend to the family garden. Like Hameed, she learned to grow using organic practices.
It was not easy getting land for the farm they created. They initially had a plan to use land at a Springfield school and invested thousands of dollars in soil, nutrients and an irrigation system. But the plan fell through, and lost everything including a season of potential income. They searched elsewhere for land but kept facing roadblocks. They came to understand the enormous challenge for farmers, and especially for farmers of color. Fortunately, last November, the Wilbraham Agricultural Commission introduced the couple to a farmer who was retiring and willing rent some land to them. Hameed says it worked out well for all parties. Hameed says, “He’s always excited to talk to us about [the farm] and to learn what we’re doing… He and his wife call us their younger selves.”
The Agric Organics business model differs from those you might find in more affluent communities. Community members can not only purchase CSA shares at the beginning of the farming season but also use their SNAP card to buy a CSA box each week. The Bellos do their best to make their produce affordable and accessible for Springfield residents. They also collaborate with the Springfield Food Policy Council to donate at least 10 percent of their vegetables to community members in need.
But the Bellos need support to get their farm rolling. For now, they rely on word of mouth and Facebook for their marketing. They need to secure funding for infrastructure and equipment they need: greenhouses, hoop houses, irrigation hoses, a hand tractor and other equipment, including their dream: a truck to deliver their produce to the underserved. They are searching and applying for grants. Yet, despite obstacles, they keep upbeat. As author Ruggiero reports, they are “determined to achieve the longevity only financial stability can give them.”
Can you help? We are chipping in a good sum to start. We have established a Facebook fundraiser where it is easy for you to donate. Because the farm is not technically a non-profit, we are raising the money for them, as we did for the QRHS Scholarship fund February and March. Alternatively, you can bring or send us a check: make it out to “Agric Organics Urban Farm” and we will forward all donations to the farm.
Link for our Facebook Fundraiser
For more information on Agric Organics Urban Farm, visit www.agricorganics.com and www.facebook.com/agricorganicsurbanfarm.