Surrounded by dozens of packing boxes and duffel bags in his childhood Gary home, Reid Hall prepares himself for his next adventure: going to college.
Stuffing suitcases full of clothes, shoes, and golf clubs, he hasn’t fully packed for his move out of state. But he said he is excited to begin a new chapter this fall.
“I’m nervous and excited,” Hall said. “I’m only nervous because I’m gonna miss my family, of course, but I’m excited for the journey ahead.”
The recent Indiana Connections Academy graduate is set to enroll in Kentucky State University’s five-year agricultural business program this fall. His parents always knew this day would come, but the path to agriculture business was a surprising turn.
Hall was inspired to choose his major after participating in a local urban gardening program for five years. As a shy freshman, Hall joined Faith CDC’s Next Urban Ag Generation program, which employs students from multiple schools in Gary to participate in the nationally recognized 12-week Junior Master Gardeners Program, rotating with multiple urban farms in Gary to learn basic nutrition, environmental systems, livestock upkeep, and preparation of fresh produce.
Once settled in on campus, Hall said he’s looking forward to playing golf, striving for a 4.0 GPA, and learning more about the business side of agriculture.
“I’ve always loved golf, and learning more about agriculture, because when I picked my major, I said I might as well do it, because I’ve been doing it for so long, but now I’m ready to learn more,” he said. “I want to learn more than just what I see.”
Before being exposed to the urban agriculture program, Hall intended to focus on sports therapy. The 18-year-old grew up playing golf just a few minutes away from his home and developed a passion for the sport, playing for four years — much like his mother, a former collegiate player. But after a trip to Faith Farms, he found an unexpected path to farming.
“When I first got there, my first year, I hated to be anywhere near animals,” he said, laughing. “I didn’t want to be near one; I thought they would hurt me!”
Over time, with plenty of reassurance that the goats wouldn’t harm him, he found a love for the dirt. From feeding the chickens, taking care of the goats, and learning how to seed crops, he found himself inspired to continue to farm, deepen his curiosity to grow, and come back to his community to return the favor.
ReNae Robinson, Hall’s mother, said that it’s “absolutely wonderful” to see him pursue his passion and take initiative as he got older.
“I think going to the classes, being a part of the program, I was able to see him develop this love for agriculture and find the path that he really wants to take when he goes off to school,” Robinson said. “That’s probably been the greatest thing to watch … to watch him develop in this and know that this is what he wants to do with his future.”
Hall said it’s essential for his community to learn how to return to their roots, “get their hands in the dirt” again, and learn how to grow their own food, which is why he wants to return after graduation and pass it forward.
“Learning about agriculture and just gardening in general isn’t that common in our community anymore. I want to be able to bring it back,” he said. “Food should never go out of style, especially growing it yourself.”
Hall’s journey to becoming a passionate agriculturalist is mirrored by a long history of Black farmers, whose contributions and fruits of their labor have fed millions of Americans despite decades of systemic discrimination and Black land loss.
The Biden administration recently doled out more than $2 billion in direct payments for Black and other minority farmers discriminated against by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a major cause of dwindling quantities of Black farmers and land. Black farms in the U.S. plummeted from 925,000 to fewer than 36,000, according to the USDA’s 2021 farm census. Meanwhile, only about 1 in 100 farmers are Black.
The agriculture industry often faces critiques of food waste and chemicals used on produce. Hall acknowledges these issues and wants to address them using lessons he learned at Faith Farms.
“One thing I definitely want to change, in the food industry, is tackling food insecurity,” Hall said. “If a cucumber is curved like a ‘u,’ they’re going to throw it out, but at Faith Farms, they take it for what it is. It doesn’t matter what it is, and can still be cut and fed to people.”
While in Faith Farm’s NuAg program, spearheaded by Hall’s godfather, Progressive Community Church International Pastor Curtis Whittaker, Hall said his mentors showed him important lessons not only about farming, but how to carry himself and his relationship with God into the world.
“My mentors taught me that, as a Black man, we need some type of foundation, and God is that.”