Born into slavery in 1845, James Coleman and his parents cultivated farmland in Uttingertown, a rural hamlet off what is now Winchester Road in Lexington, while enslaved. Coleman gained his freedom in 1863 and purchased the farm in 1888 for $1,200 using monies set aside by the Union Benevolent Society, a national initiative created by Booker T. Washington, where members in local communities pooled their resources to provide loans so former enslaved individuals could buy land or use the money to bury relatives.
James Coleman’s inability to read, write, secure a commercial bank loan or join the Chamber of Commerce in Lexington did not prevent him from managing an agricultural business and making investments that, in the decades since, helped create generational wealth that has enabled more than 300 of his descendants to attend college.
Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Keith Jackson, left, presents Jim Coleman with a special recognition during a groundbreaking ceremony held at Coleman Crest Farm last September. Photos by Marley Johnson, Rotten Sushi Photography.
One of those descendants is Jim Coleman. Coleman, who was raised on what is now known as Coleman Crest Farm (colemancrestfarm.com), is a successful executive who recently returned to Lexington. He’s working to write the next chapter in his family’s legacy by returning the farm to active production, as well as agritourism programming, educational offerings and a program to teach aspiring farmers to work with the land.
After his brothers left home to attend college, Coleman’s father, Sam, informed the then 12-year-old that he’d be responsible for caring for the family’s farm. Tasked with feeding the livestock, maintaining the farm’s equipment, controlling costs and minimizing waste provided Coleman an informal education in economics.
“I understood we needed to make a profit,” Coleman said during a recent interview. “I’ve learned a lot about how to be resourceful.”
Coleman’s mother, Cleo, encouraged her son. When she noticed his growing vocabulary, she advised him to enroll at Howard, a historically Black college and university in Washington, D.C. She said the Kennedy boys went to Harvard, but Howard was responsible for educating Justice Thurgood Marshall and Vernon Jordan, a civil rights leader.
“Anybody that’s anybody goes to Howard,” Coleman recalls his mother saying. “That’s where the smart Black people go and they run the world.”
Coleman applied to Howard but was denied admission. Undeterred, his mother wrote university president Dr. James E. Cheek requesting Coleman be given a chance to prove himself. (Coleman said he has no idea how his mother discovered the president’s name or address.) Coleman received a letter from Cheek in return who reversed the admissions’ office decision. He says the faith of his mother changed the trajectory of his life.
After taking out a $5,000 loan, Coleman’s father presented him with a $10,000 check to attend Howard. The cost of tuition was $1,800 per academic year, which Coleman paid in full. The remaining monies were applied to his student account. Coleman majored in economics and flourished academically while assuming leadership roles in co-curricular activities.
As an undergraduate, he met his college sweetheart, Cathy Clash, a chemical engineering student from Washington, D.C. The couple married and began advancing in their respective careers. Coleman has worked at several Fortune 500 companies in executive roles and credits his father for teaching him the principles of business economics while working at Coleman Crest Farm as a boy.
Coleman’s wife passed away in early 2020 of breast cancer as the couple were making plans to return to Kentucky and restore the family farm. Coleman has dedicated his efforts in honor of her memory, as well as to pay homage to his ancestors. He’s building a home on the property and plans to erect a stone memorial as a tribute to his deceased family members. He has also established a $2 million scholarship in Cathy’s honor at their alma mater.
Jim Coleman has established a $2 million scholarship in honor of his late wife, Cathy, at their alma mater, Howard University. Photos by Marley Johnson, Rotten Sushi Photography.
“I’m going to make the best of every single day going forward and give back and help others, and restore this family farm to do good work on behalf of my ancestors and my dear wife, Cathy,” he said.
In Kentucky, only 600 farms out of 76,000 are operated by Black farmers. As the sole proprietor of one of the oldest Black-owned farms in Lexington, Coleman is committed to using his 13 acres to close the gap.
He is partnering with different Fayette County public schools with the hope of shaping future Black farmers and entrepreneurs. Coleman recently hosted a retreat for the staff of William Wells Brown Elementary School, where 89 percent of the enrollment are students of color. Ebony Hutchinson, principal, hopes to have Coleman visit the school and teach students about possible careers in farming and agriculture.
“He’s putting his heart and soul into giving back,” she said. “He’s bringing the land back to a good standing.”
“He’s putting his heart and soul into giving back. He’s bringing the land back to a good standing.” —Ebony Hutchinson, principal of William Wells Brown Elementary School, about Jim Coleman
Coleman recently installed a high-tech irrigation system on the farm with a well that pumps 400 gallons of water per minute. It is the largest well in Fayette County and named in honor of his grandmother, Mollie Coleman.
After Mollie and her husband, John, took out a $500 loan to send their son to college, they fell three months behind on their $7 monthly payments. When the banker came to foreclose on the farm, Mollie fell to the ground praying in tongues, causing the banker to leave abruptly. The couple eventually made the payments and were able to keep the farm. Coleman said his grandmother’s refusal to allow pride to stand in the way is the reason Coleman Crest Farm exists today.
“Mollie’s Well is about providing a new life and hope,” Coleman said. “Everything that is good, fresh, natural, aged and from the earth is Mollie Coleman.”
The water from Mollie’s Well hydrates the organic tomatoes, cabbage and okra Coleman is currently growing. He has partnered with Ramsey’s Diner and will annually supply the restaurant with two tons of okra.
Farm manager Grant Walles, in blue jacket, leads Tumba Cool and his family through the steps involved in planting a crop of cabbage. Photos by Marley Johnson, Rotten Sushi Photography.
Coleman has also launched an incubator program where individuals lease a share of his farm and receive training on growing produce.
Ginger Watkins, an aspiring farmer, researched programs online and within her circle. She kept running across Coleman’s name, so she scheduled a tour of the farm. In the midst of the tour, Coleman said Watkins started quoting the Coleman Crest history and was knowledgeable of facts not included on its website.
Watkins shared that her great-grandmother had lived in the vicinity of Coleman’s farm and had taken his grandmother, Mollie, to vote. Watkins’ father conducted a genealogical study and discovered that one of their relatives sold the land that is now Coleman Crest Farm to James Coleman.
“One hundred and thirty-three years later, the descendant of the previous owner is now an incubator farmer of the descendant of the new owner, who was a former slave,” Coleman said. “We have more in common than we have against one another.”