The Truth About Black Farming & Your Food in 2026: Money, Mistakes & Lessons with Wayne Swanson Jr.

<p>What does it really take to run a successful farm today? Wayne Swanson Jr. breaks down the money, mistakes, and unfiltered truths behind your food.</p><p>Wayne started with a cabbage plant from his son&#39;s school project. Almost two decades later, it&#39;s Swanson Family Farm LLC, an organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised beef operation in Georgia, plus a consultancy that works with farms across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.In this episode of Rich Lessons, Sevetri and Sheena sit down with Farmer Wayne for the real conversation about the business of Black farming, not the nostalgia version of it.<strong>THE BUSINESS + THE MONEY</strong>- Why he says farming has to run like a business, not a memory- Losing $200,000, the 401(k) mistake, and what he changed- How he sells whole, half, quarter and eighth cows, and why he won&#39;t sell a single pound of ground beef- What happened to his sales when the beef recalls and grocery prices hit- The truck wrap that changed how he sells, and the Rich Lesson behind it<strong>THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR FOOD</strong>- Why he says marbling is marketing- Oxtails vs. neck bones: did we even grow up on oxtails?- How to tell a real farm egg from a store-bought one- What a clean farm should smell like- Why you shouldn&#39;t pull up to a farm uninvited<strong>THE LAND + THE SYSTEM</strong>- Growing up between his grandparents&#39; 10-acre farm and a New Jersey suburb- The front-yard garden, the HOA visit, and how he ended up on his first farm- Why he says a lot of successful Black farmers went direct to their customers- What he&#39;s building nextThese are Wayne&#39;s opinions and experiences, from someone who has lived this for years. Take what&#39;s useful.Find Swanson Family Farm on all platforms and at swansonfamilyfarmllc.comWhich side are you on, oxtails or neck bones? Tell us in the comments.#RichLessons #BlackFarmers #BusinessOfFarming #SwansonFamilyFarm #BlackOwnedBusiness #FarmToTable</p>