black michigan farmer carries on his family legacy with an eye toward the future
Bruce-Michael Wilson, was raised on 160 acres of farm land in Hopkins—a small town in Allegan County, Michigan. As a child, Wilson loved the ample space to roam and passed the time by helping his family with farm work. But as one of the only Black families who owned land in the area, Wilson knew they stood out.
“It wasn't necessarily an inviting place, you know, to begin with. But, with all that said, it turned out to be the best thing and the best place that we could have ever moved to,” Wilson said.
After college, Wilson went on to a career in real estate and investing, but he always felt the same connection to land that he did as a child. So in 2019, he bought a USDA-Certified Organic Farm called Groundswell Farm in Zeeland, Michigan. Now, he is using the farm as a business and as an opportunity to teach the next generation of children, particularly Black children, about the rewards of farming and being a steward of land.