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Nate Bradford Jr.’s farm in Oklahoma. (Courtesy of Nate Bradford Jr.)
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Click transcript to read the trailer transcript.

Nate Bradford, Jr. and other Black farmers and ranchers are fighting to preserve a type of rural, Black agricultural life. But the past keeps blocking their future.

In the third season of The Heist, we follow Bradford’s fight to survive against the long, documented history of government discrimination against Black farmers. 

Episode 1

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(April Simpson / Center for Public Integrity)

‘Black farmers and ranchers, it’s a dying deal.’ 
Black farmers and cattle ranchers are a dwindling lot, living on less land and carrying heavier financial burdens than white farmers. The USDA, once part of the problem, wants to turn things around. 

Episode 2

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A map of the United States is in black. The map is slightly distored, highlighting some red and blue parts.
(Getty Images)

Why is accurate data about Black farmers so hard to get?
It can be hard to get reliable data on race, ethnicity and gender from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Episode 3

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A black and white image of a water tower that has the word Boley on it. The water tower sits in an empty field. Behind it is a small building in the distanc.
(National Register of Historic Places Database)

In Oklahoma’s Black Belt, land ownership and power built Black wealth
Black folks went West seeking economic independence. That meant land ownership. But racism undid what they built.

Episode 4

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(Matt DeRienzo / Center for Public Integrity)

Can USDA’s efforts on equity help Black farmers overcome ‘toxic debt’?
New programs in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that do not rely solely on racial identification expected to help farmers get out from under their USDA debt.

An illustration of Nate and his sons on his farm looking out.

Episode 5

Coming October 31

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A green tractor picks up hay on a sprawling farm.
Screenshot of video showing Nate Bradford Jr.’s farm in Oklahoma.

New USDA data shows declining loan delinquency rates
Black and Hispanic farmers saw the biggest improvements, but the reasons why aren’t clear.

PODCAST EXTRAS

Amanda looks straight to the viewer. She is wearing a polka dot top with hoop earrings.
Amanda Howell Whitehurst (Courtesy of Amanda Howell Whitehurst)

How illustrations for a podcast about Black farmers came to life
Artist Amanda Howell Whitehurst on how she translated each episode of The Heist: Land of Broken Promises into striking images.

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Season 3 Credits

  • Host/reporter: April Simpson
  • Senior Producer: Camille Peterson 
  • Producer: Kiarra Powell
  • Executive producers: Gretta Cohn and Dan O’Donnell
  • Managing producer: Wilson Sayre
  • Editors: Sara Nics, Mc Nelly Torres, Jamie Smith Hopkins, Matt DeRienzo, Jane Sasseen
  • Contributing Editor: Keishel Williams
  • Mix engineer: Louis@StoryYard
  • Data Reporter: Joe Yerardi
  • Audience engagement: Lisa Yanick Litwiller, Ashley Clarke, Vanessa Lee, Charlie Dodge, Katherine Hapgood
  • Design: Janeen Jones
  • Fact checking: Peter Newbatt Smith
  • Illustrations: Amanda Howell Whitehurst

This podcast was produced in partnership with the McGraw Center for Business Journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.

Special thanks to Rural Advancement Foundation International USA.