Remember when Amar’e Stoudemire was destroying the rim on the NBA hardwood? Or when the lean muscled forward was swatting shots into the 10th row?
Well that same Stoudemire is now a farmer. Yes, you read that right. He’s a farmer.
The six-time All Star and 2002-03 Rookie of the Year now rides a tractor and raises Black Angus cattle at a 200-acre farm in Dutchess County, NY. It’s part of his job at the family-run Stoudemire Farms.
In an interview with Barron’s, Stoudemire discussed his new career on the pasture.
“I have a farm hand, but I’m definitely putting in the hours helping him out,” said Stoudemire. “You have to learn how to operate machinery, like the tractor, learn the land, how to gather the cattle, how to fix the fence posts, how to stack the hay for the barn. So there’s definitely some work that goes into it, but it’s been fun for me.”
Stoudemire always put in the work to hone his talents in the NBA. Now he does it on his farm. And just like during his playing days, he’s all in on his business.
“You gotta’ work through when you’re tired.”
Stoudemire is a player development assistant for the Brooklyn Nets. But when he’s not on the road with the team, you can catch him on his farm or Union Square Greenmarket, the largest farmer’s market in New York City. There he sells his products, including fresh cut meats and maple syrup.
Farming is in his blood and he has his grandfather to thank for that.
“My grandfather was an avid fisher, so we always had fresh fish for the community. I grew up watching that, and when the opportunity presented itself to purchase this land, I wanted to step right in there and figure out a way to turn this land into a working farm.”
This isn’t a hobby for the former NBA forward. He does the work himself and he’s building for more than just himself or those around him. He wants to continue the legacy of Black U.S. farmers, a group that has shrunk from approximately 1 million a century ago to fewer than 50,000. It’s an alarming decrease, one that’s caught the attention of the Biden Administration and Senator Cory Booker.
This past February they launched the Justice for Black Famers Act, which looks to balance the scales against the systematic racism which negatively impacted Black farmers. The bill, which has yet to be debated, is in addition to the $5 billion granted to Black farmers in the stimulus package in March.
This decline is something Stoudemire takes to heart and is working to change.
“I started reading more about how a lot of those farmers were somewhat taken advantage of when it came to new bills that were being signed and so forth for farmers,” said Stoudemire. “So it became pretty interesting to me to show face and that there are still African Americans who are passionate about farming.”
Stoudemire’s passion for the industry and craft is evident. Just like he ran the court in the NBA, he works the field, repairs fences and gathers cattle on his farm.
And you’ll also see him in person at his stand in Union Square.
“I’m all in on the farm,” said Stoudemire. “I want to make sure I build a foundation properly and then make it easier for my children to work and be a part of it when they get older.”
You can read the full interview in Barron’s here.
