Upholding a Generational Legacy through Advocacy and Entrepreneurship
Patrick Brown is a fourth-generation farmer and American entrepreneur who grew up on his family farm in southeastern Warren County, NC. Brown Family Farm was established by Patrick's great-grandfather in the late 1800s. Patrick learned how to cultivate tobacco, soybeans, and wheat alongside his father, who was a third-generation farmer. His father taught him everything he knew about farming, specifically in food sovereignty. Today, Patrick continues to farm on land that his family has owned for generations.
The Brown Family Farms' mission is to provide customers with natural, holistic, and carbon-neutral products, such as industrial hemp, natural herbs, and organic vegetables. Patrick not only cultivates and operates the farm but also has a license to process all of his products. The farm uses a vertically integrated operation that allows for the creation, processing, and distribution of products from the farm and online through the farm’s sister website, Hempfinity.
Patrick has been featured in various conferences, podcasts, and magazines including the National Black Farmers Association Conference, The Black Equity Network, and Business View Magazine. Brown Family Farm was also featured in a short film that recognized the farm and Patrick as a business owner in agriculture.
Patrick constantly advocates for diversity in agriculture, especially for Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) as The Director of Farmer Inclusion for Nature For Justice, a non-profit 501(c)(3) in North Carolina. Patrick also teaches future farmers how to start regenerative and sustainable farming operations through his consultant company.
In January 2023, The Connect Group NC LLC was hired as a partner by the Rodale Institute to provide technical assistance on regenerative agriculture practices for the USDA Climate-Smart Commodities initiative throughout selected states in the Southeast.
Learn more by visiting Brown Family Farm, Hempfinity, and The Connect Group LLC.
Photography Credits: James Parker - Visual Arts Specialist, NC A&T State University
