After learning of the news, the Ujamaa Farmer Collective plans to use the $1.25 million in funding to acquire the land in Yolo County, California. Each farm will have a plot ranging from half an acre to five acres while sharing the same resources.

Ujamaa means “extended family” in Swahili and embodies cooperative economics and inclusivity. The group’s goal is to “elevate everybody’s potential so [we] can all thrive,” according to Hawkins, per Because Of Them We Can.

In September, The Sacramento Observer reported that Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, representing most of Yolo County, expressed how significant the “investment” is for BIPOC farmers.

California land

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