The Ujamaa Farmer Collective are a group of peer urban farmers who've created a close-knit circle based on their bootstrapped experiences trying to get land access and build sustainable urban farm businesses as people of color.

Their experiences have opened their eyes to the systemic barriers marginalized groups face. So they started an organization that helps provide resources, training and access to land for other aspiring urban farmers of color and from disadvantaged backgrounds. They focuses on reducing barriers to entry into agriculture while nurturing a sense of community ownership over the food system.

In this short, Nate, Nelson, and Brian recount their early days starting their operations, reflect on the value of community and peer mentorship, and how their experiences has shaped their ambition to make urban farming more equitable and inclusive. That ambition has recently taken tangible shape in a $2 million grant to establish land tenure for a learning farm for historically underserved farmers.