TERRY DONNELL GWINN

OWNER, GWINN BROTHERS FARM, SUWANNEE COUNTY

In 2023, after years of delay, the Gwinn Brothers Farm in Suwannee County was one of two Florida farms to be issued a medical marijuana growing license specifically earmarked for Black farmers. The opportunity stemmed from a decades-old lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which alleged racial discrimination against African American farmers in the agency’s lending practices. Florida lawmakers passed a measure in 2023 to accelerate the initiative to recruit Black farmers to the state’s cannabis program. The awarded license — with an estimated value of $50 million — is ushering in a new era of production for Terry Donnell and his brother, Clifford, who have been farming for more than 40 years. Upon receiving their license, they planned to cultivate their medical marijuana crop in their Alachua County facility.