Black agricultural history includes the tools that plant a field, move food, and support research. Here are three people worth knowing.
Henry Blair: planting with less hand labor
Maryland farmer Henry Blair received a patent for a mechanical corn planter in 1834. His work helped make planting more efficient.
Read North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s account of Blair’s work.
Frederick McKinley Jones: keeping food cold on the road
Jones developed a successful mobile refrigeration system and received a patent in 1940. Keeping food cold during transport helped it travel farther without spoiling.
Read his profile at the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Chavonda Jacobs-Young: leading agricultural research
The U.S. Senate confirmed Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young as USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics on June 7, 2022. The role brought oversight of major agricultural research, education, and Extension agencies.
Read the Senate Agriculture Committee’s 2022 announcement. This is a historical appointment, not a statement about who holds the office today.
These stories give us more ways to see ourselves in agriculture. Learn a name, share the work, and give the next generation something solid to build on.
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