Michael Carter Jr., an 11th generation farmer in the United States and the 5th generation to farm on Carter Farms – his family’s century farm in Orange County, Virginia – is being honored as a Regional Environmental Champion as well. Carter leads workshops on how to grow and market ethnic African/Asian vegetables. He has worked in Ghana, Kenya and Israel as an agronomist and organic agricultural consultant. As a cliometrician, curriculum developer and program coordinator for his educational, cultural and vocational platforms, Hen Asem (Our Story) and Africulture, Carter shares the contributions of Africans and African Americans to agriculture worldwide and the many stories that history almost forgot. He trains students, educators and professionals in African cultural understanding, empathy, and implicit bias recognition.
Michael Carter, Jr. is an 11th generation farmer in the United States and is the 5th generation to farm on Carter Farms, his family’s century farm in Orange County, Virginia. There, Michael leads workshops on how to grow and market ethnic African/Asian vegetables. At Virginia State University, Michael is the Small Farm Resource Center Coordinator for the Small Farm Outreach Program as well as food safety coordinator and trainer. He sits on the board of directors of the Virginia Association of Biological Farmers (VABF) and Virginia Foodshed Capital. He also serves as the state coordinator for the Black Church Food Security Network and as the food safety coordinator for the Six State Farm to Table organization.
Michael earned an agricultural economics degree from North Carolina A&T State University and has worked in Ghana, Kenya and Israel as an agronomist and organic agricultural consultant. As a cliometrician, curriculum developer and program coordinator for his educational, cultural and vocational platforms, Hen Asem (Our Story) and Africulture, Michael shares the contributions of Africans and African Americans to agriculture worldwide and the many stories that history almost forgot. He trains students, educators and professionals in African cultural understanding, empathy, and implicit bias recognition.
