Imagine for a moment a world without hunger. Imagine being able to open your front door and be steps away from a garden, a farm, or a market where fruits and vegetables are always ripe, in season, and aplenty. Imagine a child working alongside an elder, planting a row of Brandywines in their community garden. You don’t have to imagine anymore: All of this is happening right now.
Across America, from sprawling acres of farmland to abandoned lots on city streets, thousands of everyday people are working to improve access to fresh, locally grown produce. With the help of grants, fundraisers, or out-of-pocket donations, communities are realizing a food secure future for themselves.
During Halloween weekend, I had the privilege of attending the 2nd Annual Growing Food & Justice for All Initiative Gathering with members of The Food Security Roundtable. This year’s theme, Food & Spirit: Building Cross Cultural Understanding for Systems Change, brought participants from all over the country, and even as far as Canada and New Zealand to Milwaukee, home of Will Allen’s Growing Power. Over the weekend, we shared our minds, frustrations, and sometimes tears to break through the challenges and obstacles keeping us from reaching our full capacity as advocates, activists, farmers, and recipients.
Representation from New York was strong, with folks from Mothers on The Move, Food Systems Network NYC, Just Food, Community Vision Council, La Familia Verde, East New York Farms, Green Teen,Jin’s Journey, and World Hunger Year (WHY).
Some workshops focused on building effective leadership, bridging racial divides, using all forms of media to bring awareness to food justice issues, being accountable within organizations around issues of power and privilege, or applying fair trade practices to US agricultural policy. Recognizing that the food justice fight is not single-issue, other workshops explored the intersections of art, health, and healing within agriculture and food justice or focused on bringing awareness to the roles we all play within various food systems.
On Saturday, we were able to tour a number of organizations throughout Milwaukee, including Growing Power, Sweetwater Organics, and Urban Underground. A completely interactive weekend, we were encouraged to network and socialize at meal times, to connect with regional colleagues on ways to collaborate and share resources. There was also community mask-making for Saturday evening’s Masquerade Ball. Indigenous groups offered music and prayer, while a New Moon Gathering was held for the women and a drumming circle for the men.
I left the conference validated and inspired to continue using my talents as a communicator and facilitator, armed with new tools to bring to Brooklyn, such as the Grub Party model as a community outreach tool and a network of colleagues just a phone call or e-mail away for support and resources.
I am excited to be a part of a movement working towards food justice for all.
Tags: dismantling racism, food justice, food system, growing food and justice, growing power, milwaukee, race
