September 20th 2023.
The American Heart Association and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield have joined forces to launch a unique business accelerator program that seeks to benefit the two percent of Black farmers in Maryland. Called the EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator for Maryland Black Farmers, the program has the mission to provide solutions to areas facing food inequities in Maryland while empowering Black farmers.
Rhonda Ford Chatmon, Vice President of Health Strategies with the American Heart Association of Baltimore & Greater Maryland division, emphasizes the importance of this program: “Farming is more than just food in the ground now. It just allows them to do more—that are more committed to and that they’re here to serve.”
The root of the problem lies in the lack of growth and sustainability of Black-owned businesses. To address this, the American Heart Association and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield are working towards helping Black farmers acquire the necessary business skills to increase their sustainability. As Ford Chatmon explains, “Part of the work we do as a Heart Association is teaching them what to do with that nutritious food but also help people build capacity to grow, to supply their own needs.”
The EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerators program has had success in the past, offering support to social entrepreneurs, community ambassadors, organizations, and individuals who are committed to positively impacting community health.
One example of this success is Cynthia Wallace, Executive Director of The Oasis Project in Pittsburgh. She participated in the accelerator’s faith-based program in 2021. Wallace believes that nutrition is about more than just eating the food. She said, “I think nutrition is something that is really not only about eating the food to people but talking to them about why eating healthy is so good for you just holistically.”
The Oasis Farm & Fishery in the predominately-Black Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh provides urban farming education to people of all ages at three different locations.
In Maryland’s historically Black neighborhoods of East and West Baltimore, one in four residents live in areas with limited access to fresh produce. This is why urban farming and community efforts to provide healthy options to the city’s residents are so important. The EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator program hopes to bridge the gap between socioeconomic status and lack of nutritional food.
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