“Good Roots” travels to Grady this month to introduce the Carpenter family – who has been farming in the Delta for 50 years – and explores the challenges faced by minority farmers.
Abraham Carpenter Jr. has managed the Carpenter family farm since he was 12 years old. What began with a single acre has grown to 1,200 acres with 35 family members keeping it going. He speaks with segment host Logan Duvall about the struggles and triumphs he has experienced, not only as a farmer, but also as a Black farmer. They discuss stimulus funds allocated to minority farmers that are being distributed now and debt forgiveness, which for Carpenter is a victory after a long-fought battle. The family was part of a nationwide lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) alleging years of discrimination against Black farmers as related to lending practices.
Carpenter’s Produce now includes two retail outlets in Pine Bluff and Little Rock, and sells produce regularly at farmers’ markets, having been a part of the Little Rock Farmers’ Market since its inception in the 1970s. The Carpenter family was named a Farm Family of the Year in 1988 by the Arkansas Farm Bureau. Abraham Carpenter Sr. was inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2011; that same year, he and his family were inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame.
“Good Roots,” produced in partnership with Arkansas Farm Bureau, seeks to shine a light on Arkansas’s rich rural culture and communities. Segments focus on the real stories of rural life, while addressing relevant topics like agriculture, health care, the economy, technology, policy and more. The segment airs the second Friday of each month during “Arkansas Week.” Additional information is available at myarpbs.org/GoodRoots.
Segments and bonus footage of “Good Roots” are also be featured on all Arkansas PBS digital platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, the Engage Arkansas PBS app and the PBS Video app. A blog series accompanies the segments at myarkansaspbs.org.
Major funding for “Good Roots” is provided by Arkansas Farm Bureau.
Arkansas Farm Bureau is a nonprofit, private advocacy organization with almost 190,000 families throughout the state working to improve farm and rural life. Farm Bureau is an independent, voluntary organization of farm and ranch families united for the purpose of analyzing their problems and formulating action to achieve educational improvement, economic opportunity, social advancement and promote the national well-being.
Arkansas PBS, Arkansas’s only statewide public media network, enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. Arkansas PBS delivers daily, essential, local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers through multiple digital platforms, including livestreaming at myarkansaspbs.org/watch, on-demand services and YouTube TV, and the distinct channels Arkansas PBS, Arkansas PBS Create, Arkansas PBS KIDS, Arkansas PBS WORLD and Arkansas PBS AIRS on SAP. Members with Arkansas PBS Passport have extended on-demand access to a rich library of public television programming. Arkansas PBS depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at myarkansaspbs.org. Arkansas PBS is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro) and KETZ (El Dorado).
