“It’s one of my greatest highlights for all the years I’ve been in agriculture,” said Summers, who has been in agriculture her entire life.

Born and raised on her family’s farm in Guilford County, N.C., a recognized Century Farm that has been in her family since 1878, she learned the value of working the land at an early age—along with its challenges—from a long line of tobacco farmers.

Small Farm Outreach Program, part of Virginia State University College of Agriculture and Virginia Cooperative Extension empowers small-scale, limited-resource, socially disadvantaged, minority and veteran farmers and ranchers to own, operate and sustain their independent enterprises through education, information and assistance. SFOP serves Virginia and parts of Maryland and North Carolina. It is making a big impact, especially on small-scale black farmers.