The Durham-based host of the new podcast “Tending” introduces herself the same way each time.
- “My name is Shirlette Ammons. I’m a musician and storyteller,” she drawls, pausing momentarily. “Most importantly, I’m the granddaughter of a Black farmer.”
Why it matters: The six-episode series — now available on the Southern food podcast Gravy — digs into the stories of Black farmers and their fight for equal treatment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Ammons zeroes in on the 1999 discrimination lawsuit Pigford v. Glickman, whose namesake plaintiff farmed corn and soybeans in eastern North Carolina but was repeatedly denied a loan to buy his own land.
- The government settled the landmark case by promising over $2 billion in payouts, making it one of the largest class-action settlements in history. But Ammons found it didn’t fix things — not even for those who got paid.
Zoom in: Ammons grew up in Mount Olive, then moved to Raleigh to attend N.C. State before settling in Durham around 2008. She is now a fixture of the local arts scene.
- Her creative pursuits have included music, poetry and TV production. This is her first-ever podcast.
We talked with Ammons for our latest Local Limelight conversation. This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
🍝 Favorite place to eat? I love Gocciolina. I love sitting at the bar. Love how cozy it is. I love that it’s not downtown. Me and Laura, my wife, it’s our favorite place to go just to recap the day.
🏙️ What do you think the Triangle is missing? Multidisciplinary art spaces that combine different mediums under one roof, which is what we’re trying to do (with Boarding House Arts, a community space providing affordable studio space and programming to artists that’s scheduled to open next year).
- And an arts community that is invested in paying artists consistently, and paying artists a livable wage.
📱 What’s your first read in the morning? I do not get out of bed without listening to “The Daily.” And doing Strands, Connections, Wordle, the Mini Crossword and the Spelling Bee, every morning, in that order…