Lawyers for the Black farmers class action lawsuit have begun the public notice campaign for the Pigford II lawsuit by sending out a postcard. This postcard notice is being sent to “all individuals with identifiable addresses on file with the Facilitator in the original Pigford litigation”.

    The postcard seeks to inform farmers and their heirs of the Pigford II litigation for farmers who filed a late claim petition in the original lawsuit that they will have a chance to file a claim in the case.

    The postcard notice campaign is primarily to find farmers and their heirs who filed a late claim petition in the original case but have not yet contacted any of the class counsel lawyers in the case. This will allow them to be represented and included in the case.

    This is not a general reopening of the Pigford case but a case focused on the 70,000 Black farmers who filed a late claim petition in the original Pigford case.

The post cards which are undeliverable by the post office because of address problems will be sent back to the Facilitator and the notice company will try to track these people down by phone and through notices in other publications like newspapers and magazines.

    The postcard indicates that there will be a hearing in the Federal District Court in Washington, D. C. on September 1, 2011 for the judge to approve the settlement. Farmers or their lawyers must file a letter by August 12, 2011, if they wish to comment or object to the settlement.

    As soon as the judge approves the settlement, a six month claim period will begin,  during which farmers and their heirs will explain their efforts,  between 1981 and 1996, to secure a USDA farm loan or other services and the discriminatory way they were treated.

     The post card lists the number 1-877-810-8110 and a website at www.BlackFarmerCase.com for farmers to call to seek more information.