AfroEcology Series: Black Agrarian Arts Gathering at High Hog Farm

High Hog Farm

Established in 2014 by Keisha and Warren Cameron in Grayson, GA, High Hog Farm operates as a vital educational and agricultural center dedicated to Black agrarianism and a restorative approach to land stewardship. The farm represents a "returning-generation" narrative, successfully merging ancestral knowledge with contemporary regenerative methods (including permaculture and silvopasture) to actively rejuvenate the soil and foster a resilient ecosystem. While producing specialty livestock (sheep, goats, rabbits) and organic produce (like basil and peppers), the farm's primary mission extends beyond food, providing a cultural hub for restorative experiences, farm tours, and workshops. This work is guided by the philosophy of ubuntu, emphasizing community building, hospitality, and helping people reconnect with essential land-based skills.

On September 18-21, 2025, the Black Agrarian Arts Gathering (BAAG) at High Hog Farm, was a powerful convergence focused on celebrating and advancing Black agrarian culture, land stewardship, and traditional arts. The collaborative spirit of the event provided a regenerative space, farm-based arts such as fiber processing and natural dyeing, featuring hands-on learning in sustainable fiber and textile making methods. There was also a tour of the farm space highlighting the various NRCS practices listed below.

These practices included:

Cover Crop (Code 340): High Hog Farm's focus on soil regeneration and natural inputs makes the use of cover crops—plants grown to cover the soil rather than for harvest—highly likely. This practice is key for improving soil health, preventing erosion, increasing organic matter, and suppressing weeds.

Irrigation System, Micro-irrigation (Code 441): Used to efficiently deliver water and nutrients directly to plants, this practice helps conserve water, which is important for any successful crop, including their dye plants.

Heavy Use Area Protection (Code 561): This practice protects frequently trafficked areas (like around feeders or watering areas) by stabilizing the ground with materials like gravel or concrete, preventing erosion and keeping animals out of mud, which is especially relevant for their livestock and fiber animals.

Silvopasture (Code 381): A system that intentionally integrates trees, forage, and grazing animals. High Hog Farm specifically mentions using this practice, which is a recognized NRCS conservation practice for improving animal health (shade), providing timber/fiber/food products, and increasing the overall biodiversity and health of the land.

The gathering served as a vital cultural event to strengthen community relationships, share ancestral knowledge, and emphasize the intersection of healing, art, and the sustainable cultivation of the land under the principles of Black land-based liberation and restorative ecology.

The dye crop initiative at High Hog Farm is a crucial component of their focus on ancestral agrarian arts and is dedicated to bringing local fiber and textile production back into the agricultural terminology.

BAAG was fundamentally designed to recenter our relationship with the land by celebrating their rich agrarian legacy and transforming it into a source of contemporary strength. The gathering achieved this by leveraging ancestral knowledge, sustainable land practices, and creative arts (like indigo dyeing) as frameworks for community healing and resilience.

Through shared, hands-on experiences and cultural exchange, BAAG actively fostered a beloved community dedicated to building equitable and just food and fiber economies, thereby actively confronting historical injustices and solidifying the deep, essential connection between Black identity and earth stewardship.

A special thank you to Keisha and Warren Cameron and the entire High Hog Farm family for opening their beautiful space and sharing their ancestral wisdom, regenerative practices, and the artistry of their dye crop initiative. The gathering fostered essential connections and celebrated our shared legacy, reinforcing that this work is rooted in community, healing, and art.