Some of our most cherished sustainable farming practices - from organic agriculture to the farm cooperative and the CSA - have roots in African wisdom. Yet, discrimination and violence against African-American farmers has led to our decline from 14 percent of all growers in 1920 to less than 2 percent today, with a corresponding loss of over 14 million acres of land. Further, Black communities suffer disproportionately from illnesses related to lack of access to fresh food and healthy natural ecosystems. Soul Fire Farm, cofounded by author, activist, and farmer Leah Penniman, is committed to ending racism and injustice in our food system. Through programs such as the Black-Latinx Farmers Immersion, a sliding-scale farmshare CSA, and Youth Food Justice leadership training, Soul Fire Farm is part of a global network of farmers working to increase farmland stewardship by people of color, restore Afro-indigenous farming practices, and end food apartheid. And now, with the new book Farming While Black, Soul Fire Farm extends that work by offering the first comprehensive manual for African-heritage people ready to reclaim our rightful place of dignified agency in the food system. Join us to learn how you too can be part of the movement for food sovereignty and help build a food system based on justice, dignity, and abundance for all members of our community.
Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center, 366 Main St, Sturbridge, MA 01566 • February 27, 2019 9:00am to February 28, 2019 5:00pm
The Harvest New England Agricultural Marketing Conference and Trade Show is New England’s premier agricultural marketing conference. Sponsored by the six New England State Departments of Agriculture, this biennial conference began in 2007. This will be the seventh conference. With more than 800 people in attendance and a trade show of almost 100 exhibitors, this is New England’s largest agricultural conference solely dedicated to agricultural marketing.
Plymouth State University, 17 High St, Plymouth, NH 03264 • March 12, 2019 9:00am to 6:00pm
The 4th Annual NH Food System Statewide Gathering will bring together 200+ individuals, organizations, businesses, and institutions working to strengthen our local food system. Our focus this year will be on "Cultivating our Collective Voice" and harnessing the power of our connections and relationships to shape local and state food policy. Through engaging workshops and dialogue, we'll explore how we can best collaborate and advocate to support our farms, fisheries, and food businesses, who in turn, sustain healthy communities and our vibrant working landscapes.
The NH Food Alliance is thrilled to co-host the event this year with NH Farm to School. It's an opportunity for the Alliance to welcome new partners and to celebrate the amazing work NH Farm to School is doing to catalyze food system transformation in communities across the state.
UMass Student Union, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 280 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003 • April 2, 2019 10:00am to April 4, 2019 3:00pm
The Farm to Institution New England team is pleased to announce that our 2019 New England Farm to Institution Summit will be held on April 2-4, 2019 at UMass Amherst in Amherst, Massachusetts.
