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The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan re-established the Three-Year Economic Savings Program in October 1991 because we still continue face these same problems today. The Program's name might imply that it was to last for only three years. However, this will be an ongoing program until the problems of our people are eradicated.


In December 1994, we were able to purchase, with contributions from the Three Year Economic Saving Program, some farmland located in Bronwood, Georgia. This land is located in the northeast corner of Terrell county, which is in the southwest part of Georgia, not far from the Florida border. The farm consists of 1556 acres of land that stretches 1.45 miles east and west and 2 miles north and south. The farm, which is called Muhammad Farms, was once part of a 4500-acre farm owned by the Nation of Islam until the 1970s. If it is Allah's (God) will, with your continued support and prayers we plan to repurchase the remaining acreage in the near future.


In our first year of farming we purchased three tractors, a new diesel farm truck, a new three bed-room double wide trailer (which is used as an office/living quarters), a large array of farm equipment, a refrigerated trailer for on-site vegetable storage and an irrigation system. In 1995, we planted and harvested 76.3 acres of land, including watermelons, cantaloupes, sweet corn, snap beans, okra, yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, peas and greens.





The produce, excluding the greens and peas, was distributed to most of the Eastern, Mid-Atlantic, Central, Southern and Southwest regions of the Nation;



Baltimore, Maryland melon delivery



Richmond, Virginia melon delivery



Washington D.C. melon delivery



Cleveland, Ohio melon delivery


The peas and greens were sold locally to co-ops. Our 1996 planting season was a remarkable improvement over the 1995 season. 250 acres of wheat, 80 acres of field corn, 150 acres of sorghum was planted, harvested and sold locally. We were blessed in our 1997 planting season to plant and harvest 450 acres of wheat, part of which was sold on the market and part was grounded into wheat flour. The vegetable crops consisted of 50 acres of navy beans, 40 acres of watermelons and 105 acres of assorted vegetables.







In our efforts to distribute our crops we launched our Pre-Purchase Program during our Saviours Day 1997 celebration. The whole-wheat flour and navy beans are presently being sold and can be obtained through the farm marketing coordinator at your local Mosque or Study Group. In November 1997, the Three Year Economic Program and Muhammad Farms held its annual Farm Conference/Benefit in Macon, Georgia. There was a fundraiser to benefit Muhammad Farms and a conference for all Farm Marketing Coordinators to network and strategically plan the marketing of our crops for the 1998-1999 planting season. Also, in 1997, we acquired a new 7220 International tractor for heavy duty plowing.


In our first 5 years of farming we have grown a variety of vegetable and row crops in an effort to find the right combination of enterprises to make the farm successful. A combination of drought and lower market prices has caused our farm to suffer like the other farms in Southwest Georgia.

Although vegetable crops bring the highest returns per acre, because of the distance to our primary markets, transportation and a lack of volume demanded in those markets, our vegetable operation has suffered. In the past a farmer worked hard to grow a good crop and then just took it to the wholesale market and dropped it off. Today, however, successful farmers first establish their market, then they grow specifically for that market. We have gone to seminar after seminar and the bottom line has been "markets, markets, markets": no market, no profit.


We know that 1600 acres or 4500 acres will not feed 40 million or more people. We have estimated that we need at least 6.4 million acres of land to provide one vegetarian meal per day for our people and seven times that much if you add milk and meat. This is why we at Muhammad Farms have reached out to the other Black farmers to help them save their land and fight discrimination by the USDA. Black farmers still own about 2.5 million acres of land, but they have no market for their products. We must generate that market. They are willing to grow whatever we demand and without the poisons of the commercially grown products.

Due to the increased awareness of the lack of safe nutritious food, the demand is growing for "organic" produce, milk and meat. However, "organic" means sweat to a farmer. Labor must replace chemicals to spread bulky organic manures and fight the weeds. There is no "mystery god". Labor must be paid a decent wage or volunteers must be housed and fed. Plans are in the making to put up more living quarters on the farm when funds become available.


In our attempt to come up to the modern times, we developed www.muhammadfarms.comto serve as an information source to inform people in the cities about the food system and encourage them to organize themselves into buying clubs or co-ops so that Muhammad Farms and other Black farmers would have a market. Communications is the key to marketing. Minister Farrakhan instructed each household to get a computer. Therefore, Muhammad Farms will do the bulk of its communication via the website and email; snail mail is too slow and telephone is too much hit and miss.


Although the Nation of Islam has a small fleet of tractor trailers (of which the first five were purchased in 1995), more smaller refrigerated trucks, trailers and storage facilities are needed in our target cities to facilitate the profitable distribution of our produce.


To read more, go here:

muhammadfarms.com/proposal_for_a_ministry_of_agric.htm


Those interested in being Farm Marketing Coordinators in your cities contact us at drridgely@muhammadfarms.com .


You may also volunteer your time, energy and effort at the farm by scheduling a visitation.


'Well, Mr. Lighthouse Ali Muhammad is there anything else?'


Fa sho.




In 1995, as indicated above, we celebrated the acquisition of five (5) Peterbuilt trucks which ship our produce and products (books, bean pies, personal care products, CD's, DVD's, and audio or video cassettes) to cities across the nation. Our fleet of trucks now numbers ten, unless the number has increased since the last time I was in Chicago.




In 1995, we also celebrated the Grand opening of the Salaam Restaurant and Bakery Complex, which contained a bakery, a banquet hall, a fine dining section and the Blue Seas family restaurant. The Salaam Restaurant at its peak employed 200 Black Chicagoans, a group which was inclusive of NOI members and non-NOI members.


Prior to the '94-'95 acquisitions, we were in possession of other entities which employ Black people (members of the Nation of Islam).




The Final Call Administration Building




Muhammad University of Islam #2 (Chicago)

*note: We now have our schools in New York, Houston, Detroit, Cleveland, Los Angeles and a few other cities which escape my mind


And how can I forget our internationally distributed Black-owned and operated, professionally produced piece of print media, the Final Call Newspaper (which has weekly distribution).



Oh, and we have a few acres of farm land in Michigan, also, so we are doing a few thangs, but a better day for Black people can be produced at a much faster rate with your assistance.


We can accomplish whatever we will...


...when Black people pool our resources.


Peace.

Ali Muhammad