Dr. Gail P. Myers, cultural anthropologist, earned her Doctorate in Anthropology from The Ohio State University, Masters in Applied Anthropology from Georgia State University and Bachelors in English from Florida State University. Dr. Myers is the founder of Farms to Grow, Inc. in Oakland, CA. She works with organizations locally, nationally, and internationally to improve the lives and future for socially disadvantaged and sustainable small farmers.
For the last eighteen years, she has been researching, teaching, and writing about black farmers, producing articles, papers, and documentary shorts related to the adaptations and sustainable practices of African American farmers.
In 2001, Dr. Myers organized the first statewide conference for African American farmers in Ohio. Dr. Myers’ also served as the conference coordinator of the 19th California Small Farm Conference in Ventura, CA, November 13-15, 2005. In 2013, Myers facilitated along with the community stakeholders and farmers, the Freedom Farmers’ Market in West Oakland, focused on connecting black farmers with communities in need. Dr. Myers has received numerous awards and honors. Dr. Myers is considered a subject matter expert in the anthropology of African American farming. In addition to managing the operations of Farms to Grow, Inc. she lectures and consults with community based, local, state, and nationally. Currently, Dr. Myers is completing the film documentary ‘Rhythms of the Land,’ which voices the life stories of African American farmers, sharecroppers, gardeners, and basket weavers, and will be available 2014/2015 (www.rhythmsoftheland.com). Gail is also an Air Force Veteran and currently resides in Oakland, CA.
