Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115380

Peggy Riley, RN, MSN and Becky Fields, PhD, RN. College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, #539 CON/HSLC, Lexington, KY 40536-0232, 859-254-0165, parile2@uky.edu

Purpose: To present findings from a literature review and focus group meetings of older African American farmers in Kentucky and South Carolina. Background: The history of African American farming began shortly after the emancipation of Blacks. At that time, African Americans became sharecroppers and tenant farmers. These sharecroppers had no capital to invest in their farms, therefore creating indebtedness to White farmers. This trend of debt became a way of life for the African American farmer that has continued throughout the years. Significance: The number of African American farms has been steadily decreasing over the past several decades. In 1920, 680,000 of the nearly 1 million African American farms were tenant farms, making up 14% of the total farms in the U.S. In 2003, the total number of African American farms totaled 18,000, making up 1% of the nations total farms. The increased stress of potentially losing the family farm has placed these farmers at an increased risk for coronary artery disease (CAD), depression, and suicide. Preliminary Findings: Review of relevant literature was performed prior to examination of focus group findings. Review of the literature, as well as focus group findings, indicated the following contributors to the decline in African American farming: unfair lending practices, lack of continued family ownership, lack of ability to be competitive in farm practices, and mortgage foreclosures on farms.

Learning Objectives: