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In 1971, Hank and Maren Mitchell purchased farmland perched along the Crow Wing River in Verndale, Minnesota. Like many aspiring farmers before them, they envisioned raising a family, becoming self-sufficient and joining the local community. But unlike most of their predecessors, the Mitchells were an interracial couple forging a path into a traditionally white industry.
“It could be isolating at times, being the only biracial family in the area,” recalls Peace Mitchell, Hank and Maren’s daughter. “But it was my parents’ dream to basically raise everything and be kind of subsistence farmers. I was born in the Wadena Hospital shortly after they moved up here, and they did it! My mom had a huge garden, and they raised their own produce and meat.”
Five decades later Frog Tree Farm is one of only 75 Black-owned farms in Minnesota. It’s also believed to be one of the oldest continuously operated Black-owned family farms in the state.
An adult with grown children of her own, Peace and her husband, Michael Birchard, have taken over operations. With support from Peace’s three brothers, the farm has grown into a hub of activity featuring rental cabins, event space, and scenic trails through 108 acres of fields and woods. The space regularly hosts visits from community groups and lively student field trips. The family also sells homemade wreaths, jams, and jellies. The profits are reinvested in the farm to support its growing infrastructure.
Today, Hank and Maren’s children see Frog Tree Farm as a living legacy, honoring both the rewards and challenges of being Black rural farmers. To help preserve that legacy and celebrate the broader history of Black Minnesotans, the family has partnered with the University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) to envision and design the Minnesota Black Rural History, Art, Culture, and Heritage Trail.
Reimagining the land
Hank Mitchell was born in Sunflower County, Mississippi, in 1942. He and his siblings spent parts of their childhood picking cotton alongside their parents.
“He remembers waving to the school bus full of white kids on their way to class while he was out in the field. So for a long time, the land made him angry,” says Birchard, recalling stories from his father-in-law.
Hank’s feelings aren’t unusual.
“As descendants of enslaved people, many Black Americans hold complex relationships with land because of enslavement and forced labor,” says Birchard. “But in Hank’s case, this land in Lyons Township gave him opportunity.”
Hank’s family says Frog Tree Farm turned a contentious relationship with the land into one akin to friendship and a sense of self-determination. For the first time, Hank felt at peace outdoors, developing a sense of devotion that grew from caring for his own land. One of his daughter’s fondest memories was hearing her dad’s chainsaw as he harvested wood for fuel in the farmhouse.
“There’s just something really peaceful about being in a place where you can be yourself and not have your walls up,” Peace says. “Others feel it too. It’s like we can just breathe here.”
In addition to helping visitors feel safe and welcome in nature, Peace hopes the trail’s information on Black history will raise the visibility of Black rural folks and farmers and help build connections.
“Growing up, my brothers and I were the only Black kids around for so long,” she says. “I can’t imagine if we had something like this to come visit. It would’ve been powerful.”
New routes to belonging
The proposed Minnesota Black Rural History, Art, Culture, and Heritage Trail will run along the edge of the Crow Wing River and pass Frog Tree Farm’s fields. Stretching three-quarters of a mile, the trail will feature artistic sculptures, cultural installations, and educational signs that share stories of resilience, innovation, and heritage. The trail will be open for the public to visit and enjoy.
Through their ongoing partnership with Central RSDP, Frog Tree Farm was introduced to the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). Together, the organizations are helping bring the family’s vision to life.
“Watching the idea for the Black History Trail evolve has been a little unreal,” Peace says. “As the work comes together, it’s just like, wow… I can actually see this.”
Central RSDP staff are providing project management, research design, and technical guidance. CURA graduate students are researching and developing content that will eventually lead to a digital Geographic Information System (GIS) story map of the trail. The map will serve as both a standalone educational tool and a resource to help secure funding for the physical trail.
“We believe that communities themselves are the most powerful force for justice,” says Lee Guekguezian, CURA’s director of community-based research programs. “Frog Tree Farm’s project demonstrates the power of place-based storytelling led by people historically tied to the land, yet too often excluded from dominant histories.”
In addition to developing the idea and content, Peace and Michael are raising additional funds to build the trail. It likely won’t be finished for at least another year. But the family knows it’s worth the wait.
“Everyone is welcome at Frog Tree,” Peace says. “And this trail will be a special way to let Black Minnesotans know that this was made for them, and that they belong here.”
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