Barfield wants the Black community to embrace farming and see it as part of its history.
Her career changed after a 2018 trip to Martinique, where she met Black farmers and saw their work first-hand. Today, the 38-year-old St. The farm covers 128 acres and employs 26 people, according to Philadelphia Tribune.
Barfield says it is the largest Black-owned farm in Pennsylvania that grows food. “We’re really working on building a relationship, cleaning up the food system, and making the food system better,” she said. “Growing food and building storefronts in urban areas to make sure this food gets to communities that need it.”
Christa Barfield grew up in Germantown, Philadelphia, and once worked in healthcare. Five days after returning home, Barfield began planning a new career in farming. Joseph’s University graduate runs FarmerJawn Agriculture in West Chester, outside Philadelphia. Her work now goes beyond growing crops. FarmerJawn has locations in West Chester, Kensington and Elkins Park, with each location following a different farming model. West Chester is rural, Elkins Park is suburban and Kensington is urban. Barfield wants to show that farming and access to food can work across all three settings.
The store is scheduled to open on October 1 and is part of Barfield’s effort to bring the food grown by FarmerJawn closer to Philadelphia communities.
“I got on a plane to Martinique, and I met Black farmers while I was on the island, and what I saw inspired me,” Barfield told the Philadelphia Tribune. The next step is the planned opening of CornerJawn, a food and medicine corner store in Kensington. “I came home five days later and started planning to become a farmer. Her focus is not limited to what happens on the farm. She wants the produce to reach Philadelphia neighbourhoods, including communities that may not have easy access to the food grown at the farm.
