The Cost of Courage: Why the B Corp Community Must Stand Up

What happens when equity commitments are cited as cause for defunding?

On Good Friday, Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley received a devastating letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency was terminating funding for her Black Women’s Regenerative Farming Project—an initiative that empowers Black women and other farmers of color through climate-smart, regenerative agriculture.

The reason? The USDA cited its commitment to eliminating discrimination and claimed the project’s alignment with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives disqualified it from support.

“To dismiss it as ‘just DEI’ is to fundamentally misunderstand the power of regenerative agriculture in Black hands—hands that have long been excluded, exploited, and erased in this industry.”

Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley, via Instagram

Who Is Green Heffa Farms?

Located on 14 acres in Liberty, North Carolina, Green Heffa Farms is more than a farm; it’s a living model of what equity-rooted, regenerative agriculture can look like in practice. Founded in 2018 by Clarenda Stanley, the farm grows organic herbs and medicinal plants, reclaims ancestral knowledge, and cultivates a new generation of Black and Brown women farmers who are reshaping the future of land stewardship.

Green Heffa Farms was the first Black-owned farm in the U.S. to become a Certified B Corporation—an achievement that reflects rigorous standards and a bold reimagining of who farming is for. The organization’s “4Es” framework—Economic empowerment, Equity, Environment, and Education—guides everything from soil practices to staffing and pricing, aligning growth with both land and community.

And the impact is real. In 2025, Green Heffa Farms was honored with the Good Farmer Award by the Davines Group and Rodale Institute for advancing equity, education, environmental stewardship, and economic opportunity. Its teas and herbal products are rooted in both science and spirit. And its presence stands as a blueprint for what a regenerative, reparative, and inclusive food system can be.

The Role of Collective Action in a Standards-Based Movement

One company can’t solve systemic problems alone. That’s why collective action—mobilizing businesses around shared challenges and coordinated responses—is a core component of B Lab’s evolving standards. Rather than focusing only on individual company practices, the new requirements ask B Corps to consider how they contribute to broader efforts that advance justice, sustainability, and economic resilience.

Collective action can take many forms. It may look like coordinated public statements, pooled funding to support vulnerable communities, or collaboration across sectors to influence policy. What unites these efforts is a shared commitment to move beyond compliance and toward systemic impact—aligning business activity with long-term societal goals.

For B Corps, participating in collective action reinforces the credibility of the movement. It helps demonstrate that the business community is capable of responding to complex issues not only with internal improvements, but also with shared accountability and public leadership. And in moments like this—when a fellow B Corp experiences targeted divestment—collective action is one pathway B Corps are increasingly pursuing in response to shared challenges.

As part of their certification, B Corps are asked to consider how they participate in advocacy, align with coalitions, and contribute to a more inclusive and regenerative economy. These standards reflect a belief that true impact requires collaboration—and that leadership is best exercised in concert with others working toward the same goal.

Why This Matters to Every B Corp

Green Heffa Farms has become a benchmark for what’s possible when equity and ecology drive the business model. The company reimagined what the standard could be—merging regenerative agriculture, generational wisdom, and economic empowerment into a thriving model of justice-centered business.

When one of our own is targeted, the question isn’t whether we’ll respond. It’s how we’ll show up—and who we’ll become in doing so.

This Is the Moment to Show Up

“We weren’t trying to check a box. We were contributing to a better future for agriculture… This is not the end. We are actively pursuing new avenues of funding to ensure that this work not only continues—but grows.”

Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley

This is more than a funding loss. It’s a signal. And it’s time for the B Corp community to respond—with statements, with support, with solidarity and strategy.

Here’s what that could look like:

• Fund the future: Support Farmer Cee’s work by following Green Heffa Farms on social media, shopping their products, signing up for their newsletter, and sharing their content. You can also engage directly with the Black Women Regenerative Farming Project. We’ll continue to share additional ways to contribute as they become available.
• Collaborate and elevate: Does your work intersect with climate, equity, or agriculture? Reach out to partner with Green Heffa Farms, share resources, or co-create initiatives that advance regenerative, justice-centered farming.
• Speak out: Has your company faced similar divestment, scrutiny, or backlash? Add your voice to this story. We’re collecting statements and lived experiences from across the B Corp community—contact us to contribute.
• Rethink risk: Investors, funders, and allies—what work are you unintentionally discouraging? Who’s seen as “controversial” simply for centering equity? Let’s interrogate our assumptions about credibility, compliance, and change.

And if you know someone who knows someone, connect them to this story. Farmer Cee has asked for help finding legal support, alternative funding streams, and collaborative allies.

When Values Are Penalized, Community Is Our Defense

B Lab U.S. & Canada is clear: this isn’t just about one farm. It’s about all of us. What happened to Green Heffa Farms reflects a broader strategy to suppress equity-centered work under the guise of “neutrality.” But silence won’t save us. Action will.

We need to tell a different story. One where leadership looks like women planting herbs in North Carolina. Where funding follows intention, not erasure. Where inclusion isn’t a risk—it’s the reason we’re here.

If we believe in using business as a force for good, then we have to protect the businesses who are doing that most visibly—and most vulnerably.

“Farmers like us—who the forefathers had labeled as labor, not leaders—deserve more than visibility. We deserve viability.”

Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley

Because when courage costs this much, community must be the return.