Sharing Our Purpose
Bringing the Equitable Harvest Black Farmers Initiative to fruition was a labor born out of love and necessity. Black farmers have been affected by systemic racism throughout history, and it is time for institutions like ours to stand up and fight for equality. While this initiative is only the beginning, we are proud to play a role in righting these historical wrongs by providing Black farmers with a path to success while encouraging other institutions to do the same.
We assembled a team of talented individuals from across the country. These individuals possess a deep understanding of Stanford’s mission and are committed to the amplification of Black voices, specifically in the farming community. We look forward to seeing the meaningful impact this initiative has on the farming industry and are excited about its future growth among other disenfranchised groups.
Black Farming Toolkits
At the core of our mission are our two toolkits, one targeting Black farmers and one targeting buying institutions. They share historical insight about the plight of Black farmers while providing information to help elevate their positions. Our team focused extensively on these designing these toolkits and relied on extensive research and collaboration to turn the concept into a reality.
We’d like to give a special shoutout to Charlie Hoffs, Congressional Intern for Rep. Ro Khanna and Fulbright Scholar/Stanford B.S., M.S. '23, for her work to bring these toolkits into fruition.
Creating an Identity
Once the data was collected and collated, it was time to create an identity for the project. Stanford R&DE’s Senior Associate Vice Provost Dr. Shirley Everett and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer Jocelyn Breeland collaborative to coin the “Equitable Harvest Black Farmers Initiative” moniker.
Once the name was established, Senior Director of Creative and Digital Services Robert Coles teamed up with Lead Project Designer Tyne Zalesky to curate a logo, colors, and photo style that would accurately depict the collaborative effort. The branding represents the vibrant Black community while paying homage to Stanford’s farming roots.
Video and Photo Production and Shoot
In September 2023, our videography team – led by Stanford R&DE’s Assistant Director of Digital Media Keith Uyeda and Dr. Shirley Everett – traveled to California’s Central Valley for a two-day video shoot highlighting the Equitable Harvest Black Farmers Initiative.
A 100% female video crew captured the essence of this project through interviews with with following stakeholders:
- Dr. Everett
- members of Stanford Dining, Hospitality & Auxiliaries
- Stanford R&DE Vendor Management
- Farms to Grow, Inc.
- DayLight Foods
- and several Black farmers themselves.
Videographer Jeff Rumans captured stunning drone imagery while Zachary Coles was the key grip, leading rigging, equipment setup, and camera positioning for the elaborate shoot. Lead of Marketing and Messaging Caitlin Price created compelling questions for the recorded interviews and voiceover dialogue for the initiative’s trailer.
The resulting videos and images beautifully showcase Stanford’s mission and goals as well as the farmers’ personal experiences with the initiative and hopes for the future of minority farmers in the United States.
A Hub for Education and Connection
Building a website dedicated to this initiative was imperative for it to become a success. Our team worked diligently to design and develop the site itself, leaning on the talents of Caitlin Price and Copywriter Meghan Yani to truly capture the essence and importance of the project. They focused on creating a cohesive web space to share vital Black farming history combined with language to spark change and inspire future generations of farmers and food suppliers.
Caitlin and Meghan also collaborated with various stakeholders to curate relevant content that would provide farmers, institutions, and other interested parties with the information and tools they need to learn more and get involved.
Spreading Awareness through Social Activity
Our social media team is helping to share the Equitable Harvest initiative on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, amplifying the stories and voices of Black farmers through powerful and informative posts. Our social team of Connor Kieffer and Danielle Marras create amazing copy and designs and manage the accounts, creating visibility around these voices that have been silenced for too long.
Meet The Team
Dr. Shirley J. Everett
Senior Associate Vice Provost for R&DE and Senior Adviser to the Provost on Equity and Inclusion
Robert Coles
Senior Director
Jocelyn Breeland
Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
Keith Uyeda
Assistant Director
Caitlin Price
Copy and Messaging
Tyne Zalesky
Design and Branding
Vanaka Din
Web Development
Jeff Rumas
Videographer
Elizabeth Hansen
Interviewer
Alice Pyo
Camera Operator
Danielle Marras
Social Media
Zachary Coles
Key Grip
Connor Kieffer
Social Media
Neil Pendyala
Web Development
India Islam
Graphic Design
Meghan Yani
Copy and Messaging
Euzhan Shabazz
Graphic Design