A graduate of The Piney Woods School, 1 of 2 remaining historically black boarding schools, Candace Clark is a Tuskegee University Alumna from Chicago, IL; with a BS in Agricultural Business with a concentration on sustainability and a certificate in International Relations, as well as a former USDA 1890 Scholar. Her experiences abroad as an Afro-Indigenous woman cultivates her internal obligation to honor her ancestors by serving her community and those like it abroad.
Aware of racial injustices, she views them- and their potential solutions- from an intersectional, generative lens. She hopes to empower developing communities by learning and being a conduit for regenerative agricultural techniques to small and middle farmers, internationally. Although the role of agriculture is not widely embraced, she seeks to reconnect Agriculture to her generation, and her culture to the world, through agriculture and sustainable practices. She has 2 Master's in International Affairs and Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from American University and The United Nations University for Peace, respectively. She is currently enrolled in Tuskegee University’s Integrative Public Policy and Development program, pursuing her PhD.
FARMERS & STEWARDS carry so much important history and dignity -That's why I'm a Farm Plug.
A Farm Plug is an IMPACTOR: someone who uses their influence to serve their community based on the basis of collective wellness." Farming is a dying industry and the black farmer is facing an even more dire crisis. Many people equate agriculture with slavery- a traumatic scar that causes many young indigenous descendants to be turned off by it. However, land stewardship and the environment has been historically used as a tool for disenfranchisement, when it truly offers a path to liberation and equity. Through agriculture, economic independence and empowerment, systemically disadvantaged and developing communities can be accounted for. Our intersectional technique allows for adequate identification of unique problems for better strategies and local, sustainable solutions. I am an alchemist, driven by my love of connecting with people and action-oriented problem solving. I am intrigued by the creation of resilient and beloved communities and I enjoy engaging with people using the possibilities and heterogeneity of the world of food and natural resources.
In the age of influencers, we'd rather make an impact. The work to change society begins with myself, my community and the land which supports our existence. Black agrarianism has been the most precious and healing form of resistance and we cannot let the fire die out. I want to educate and grow with the youth as they engage the importance of agriculture, especially in urban areas. Using my experiences, I hope to break down barriers by helping to develop and increase the capacity of my neighbors while encouraging environmental representation and intersectional justice. I am excited to pass on tools for people to “cast their buckets down where they are,” as Booker T. Washington once said, in their communities, through holistic, sustainable agriculture. Kandeaux’s Couch and Farm Plug TV are just a few documentations of our journey “Connecting Ag and the Culture:” using an intersectional approach to agriculture for the decolonization of minds and as a tool that allows connection between people to the earth and each other, whilst exploring better versions of ourselves.
Let's Plug In. Let's Make an Impact. Let's be the Change.
