A century ago, 14% of agricultural land was owned by Black farmers, but now that’s down to less than 2%. On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon is in conversation with Ruthanna Hutton-Okpalaeke and Alex Lindenmeyer of Urban Triage about how their agriculture program is repairing people’s relationship with the land and supporting food security in Madison.

They talk about how their organization is responding to cuts to the EPA and USDA and how their workshops on growing food and food businesses are taking off. Hutton-Okpalaeke says that working in agriculture doesn’t have to be based on exploitation; through Urban Triage’s programs, people can learn to grow culturally relevant foods for themselves and their neighbors and learn how to have sustainable careers in the field. She’s helped participants grow foods that they can’t find in grocery stores, like peanuts, different varieties of okra, Lagos spinach, and more. The produce they grow at their farm in Verona is shared by participants and at a free produce stand at the Urban Triage office. “We’re an agricultural state, we should have food security here,” says Hutton-Okpalaeke.

Urban Triage’s specialty crop program launched its new hemp product yesterday. Called Less Noise Wellness, it offers CBD and THCA gummies, balms, and flower, all organically grown and processed in Wisconsin. Lindenmeyer says they’ve worked for years to get to a point where they can generate revenue from their hemp crop, and it’s taken that long to build relationships with folks in the industry. Hutton-Okpalaeke says that their Hemp Specialty Crop Workgroup hopes to reverse how cannabis has often been a path to incarceration in the Black community. Lindenmeyer adds that Urban Triage is trying to address inequalities in the hemp industry and make sure that dollars feed back into local infrastructure and local farmers.

Ruthanna Hutton-Okpalaeke is the dedicated Agriculture Program Manager at Urban Triage, where she expertly handles all facets of agricultural programming.

Alex Lindenmeyer is the Development Manager and a Board Member at Urban Triage.

Featured image of Alex Lindenmeyer, Dana Pellebon, and Ruthanna Hutton-Okpalaeke courtesy of Sara Gabler/WORT.

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