Black-owned Free Haven Farms helping grow next generation of New Jersey farmers
LAWNSIDE, N.J. (CBS) — George Washington, the first president of the United States, once described farming as the "most healthy, the most useful and the most noble employment of man." One family in New Jersey shares this sentiment and is intent on making the world a better place one farm-fresh bite at a time.
Tucked away between the buildings in Lawnside, you'll find Free Haven Farms, run by the husband-and-wife team of Micaiah and Cynthia Hall.
"People are always surprised to see that there are Black farms, especially here in New Jersey, because it is pretty rare," Cynthia Hall, who has a PhD in geochemistry, said. "But then, after the surprise, people are always really happy to hear that we're continuing the legacy of Black growers here in the U.S. because there are so few now."
Less than 1% of New Jersey's nearly 10,000 farms are Black-owned, and Free Haven Farms is even rarer because it is one of only 81 United States Department of Agriculture-certified organic farms in the state.
"We have living soil. We pride ourselves in our soil," Micaiah Hall said. "I think that our soil speaks to the relationship that me and Cynthia have as a farmer and her as a scientist."
It was Cynthia who steered the family back to Lawnside. She grew up here when it was a rural, wooded community. In 2015, they returned with their children to start the farm.
Free Haven has a rich history. In the 1800s, this area was known as Snow Hill, and it included a development created by abolitionists named Free Haven. Later, Snow Hill and Free Haven became Lawnside, the first incorporated Black town north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
"You know, we got our philosophy," Micaiah said. "We say, 'Happy plants make happy people.'"
Micaiah is known as "Micaiah the Pharmacist," which he says is because "my farm assists people."
"It assists people to grow food," he said.
He pharm-assists through lessons on Instagram and "Farmalosophy: Nature's Lessons That Help Your Grow," a farming book he wrote.
Currently, the farm consists of a 1-acre and another 5-acre lot, providing much-needed produce for the Food Bank of South Jersey and teaching farmers of the future.
"We have a bunch of students," Cynthia said, "from high school students to university students that are coming here to learn hands-on."
The farm has become a family affair with the simple philosophy of staying rooted and growing in all aspects of life.