Spotlight Series
Advancing Stewardship and Opportunity for Black Farmers in Arkansas
When Lawrence Conyer left his family farm in Lincoln County, Arkansas for his career with the Department of the Army, he swore he was never going back. His father had taught him the importance of cultivating the land and proper farming techniques, but at the time, he had no desire to farm.
“Well, never say never,” Lawrence now recalls with a laugh, reflecting on his return to the family land, and the evolution of the more than 1,500 acres of soybean, wheat and specialty crops which he now manages.
“My father was a sharecropper, and when I was coming up, we just worked the land and worked it – but land will only produce so much,” remembers Lawrence. “Now my land needed to be improved, so I got connected with the NRCS in Jefferson County and found that I could rank high to access conservation funding.”
Edge of field water monitoring station on Conyer's farm. (Credit: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service)
Working with NRCS, Lawrence began to implement new conservation practices to conserve water and protect his soil, such as adopting cover crops, implementing new irrigation technologies, and installing edge of field water quality monitoring stations. He is an active participant in NRCS studies on silt runoff, helping the agency to understand the efficiency of technologies like drop pipes, filter strips, cover crops, high residue crops, irrigation water mangement and water monitors to protect local watersheds.
“Farmers have to work hard to put their nutrients back in the soil,” explains Lawrence. “Especially now, mother nature doesn’t always provide, so you have to have technology in place to water your crops and protect your resources.”
His stewardship efforts have continued to expand, and in 2016 Lawrence was named a third place winner of the 2016 Lloyd Wright Small Farmer of the Year – earning a trip to the White House for national recognition.
Credit: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Lawrence Conyer
2nd Generation Farmer
Jefferson County, Arkansas
“Black farmers want to get something out of their land like anyone else, but we haven’t had access to capital to be able to take good care of it. The National Black Growers Council tries to help farmers understand what’s available to them to improve their land.”
Lawrence Conyer
Farmer and Board Member
Jefferson County, Arkansas
National Black Growers Council
But for Lawrence, success has always been less about achievement in the field, and more about supporting his community and fellow Black farmers.
“There’s a lot of people who need help when it comes to farming,” reflects Lawrence. “A lot of people of color don’t have the money to get started, and technology is moving so fast that you might buy something today that tomorrow is obsolete.”
As a member of the Board of Directors of the National Black Growers Council (NBGC), Lawrence works to understand and break down the unique barriers facing Black farmers across the South.
“Land is expensive, and nine times out of ten, Black people haven’t had access to the best land,” explains Lawrence on the historical inequities in agriculture. “Black farmers want to get something out of their land like anyone else, but we haven’t had access to capital to be able to take good care of it.”
Conyer discusses his conservation plan with NRCS District Conservationist Levell Foote. (Credit: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service)
Lawrence sees public programs like NRCS as an important avenue for small and Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC) farmers to access conservation funding, while acknowledging there are barriers to access which organizations like the National Black Growers Council are working to overcome.
“Historically, Black farmers didn’t always want to work with the government. Now, there’s so many programs that will pay for conservation—but you have to know about them,” says Lawrence. “The National Black Growers Council tries to help farmers understand what’s available to them to improve their land.”
Lawrence’s approach to equity extends to his own operation, where he runs a community vegetable garden which offers free produce to neighbors. Though he recognizes US agriculture’s history of excluding and marginalizing BIPOC growers, he also sees interest in younger generations within his community and family which keeps him hopeful for the future.
“NBGC has field days with a lot of students who are really interested in farming, and hopefully, we can help that younger generation,” says Lawrence. “My daughter is a quick learner when she comes back to the farm, and I’d like to pass it on to her. People have to eat – so we’re gonna have to buckle down and do what we need to do.”
“Especially now, mother nature doesn’t always provide, so you have to have technology in place to water your crops and protect your resources.”
Lawrence Conyer
Jefferson County, Arkansas
