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In June, SAGE announced the eight recipients of its Equity Innovation Lab (EIL) program for 2024. This program offers financial and technical support to uplift marginalized and historically under-resourced LGBTQ+ elder communities nationwide. The EIL provides an $8,000 grant to each recipient, year-long technical assistance, and other helpful services.

We are thrilled to kick off individual spotlights of each of our partners on our blog. Our first recipient that we are recognizing is The North Durham Farmers’ Market. Hear from Helena Cragg, the market’s founder, all about how they are pouring into their local community!

Could you tell us about your organization?

“We are in a community north of downtown Durham, North Carolina. Our market, which opened to the public April 6, 2024, is designed to provide a platform for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women-led businesses to have a supportive space to sell their products. Farmers’ markets are well known to provide a vital third space for communities, which allows folks to gather, exchange ideas, build relationships, and more. We lean into that by providing a fun, family-friendly, and intergenerational space that is a one-of-a-kind experience. Our market is on the first and third Saturdays of each month in April through November.”

How do you support LGBTQ+ elders through your work? What resources will you provide through the Equity Innovation Lab’s support? 

“In the heart of the South, we are uniquely situated in a community with lots of rich LGBTQ+ history. Yet so many of our LGBTQ+ elders who are deeply invested in their church communities have never felt completely safe to be out. With the support of the Equity Innovation Lab, we hope to craft some unique opportunities to gather a diversity of LGBTQ+ elders in what hopefully feels like a ‘safe-r’ space to be in community. Building on the third space of a farmers’ market, and of course delicious food, is a new and unique way of building community for elders that we are excited to explore.”

Why is access to healthy, sustainable, and locally sourced food important? 

“Local foods, quite simply, are fresher and taste better. Compared to produce that has been shipped in from far away, locally grown options are harvested at the peak of their ripeness. Whereas produce that must travel long distances may be picked before it is fully ripe. As a result, locally grown produce often has a richer flavor and higher nutrient content, which makes it a smart choice for those who prioritize health and flavor in their food choices.

Structurally, a thriving local food economy can also have so many different important impacts. This includes maximizing the environmental, social, and economic health of a community. Given our parallel work on land access through our sister non-profit, Golden Girlz NC, Inc., the two initiatives come together to protect farmland and natural resources and make them accessible to BIPOC and the LGBTQ+ community. This inextricably ties food, land, and health together.”

What is food security? What do you wish more people knew about it?

“Food security is a basic human right. It’s a measure of an individual’s ability to access food that is nutritious and sufficient in quantity. I wish more people understood how crucial it is to sustain a healthy local food economy. Having a strong local agriculture is our best defense for weathering risks to food access by climate change, social and political effects, transportation costs, and more. In our community, small-scale farmers are deeply invested in supporting local mutual aid efforts that seek to reduce food waste and ensure that community members with less economic means still have access to healthy fresh foods.”

Do you believe community building can contribute to one’s personal well-being?

“The North Durham Farmers’ Market is truly one example of how community building around food security has the potential to impact folks from so many different perspectives. Our 25+ vendors are all operating BIPOC, LGBTQ+, or women-led businesses that would typically not be invited to vend at a traditional farmers market. In coming together regularly, our vendors have formed an invaluable community of folks who are also learning to farm, grow their business, and collaborate with one another.

As a queer elder myself, it has truly been a joy to watch my wife jump in wholeheartedly in her new career pathway as one of our farmer vendors. I couldn’t have even planned for the sheer joy she gets from interacting with her new loyal clientele and sharing stories about the love and care she puts into the produce she is growing for community. Building this new career in farming has been so good for both her physical and emotional well-being — versus settling into retirement.”

You can find the North Durham Farmers’ Market as @NorthDurhamFarmersMarket on Instagram and Facebook or at www.NorthDurhamFarmersMarket.com. 

This interview was edited for clarity and length.