1) Send this PC(USA) Action Alert to your representatives in Congress: capwiz.com/pcusa
2) Have your congregation sign onto this organizational letter to Congress for the Farm to School Act:bit.ly/org-sign
3) Sign your name to the citizen sign-on letter:bit.ly/pcusa-cnr
Presbyterian Women, Presbyterian Hunger Program, PC(USA) Office of Public Witness, and Educate a Child Initiative are joining with our interfaith partners in Washington DC and the National Farm to School Network and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition to advocate for a strong Child Nutrition Act that also advances farm to school priorities, all with a shared goal of healthier children who are ready to learn, and resilient local food and farm systems.
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” – Nelson Mandela
The Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Women and the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness is joining with congregations, interfaith partners, the Alliance for Fair Food, Interfaith Worker Justice and ROC-United to advance justice in the fields and poverty reduction for all workers through fair wages.
People of faith call for justice in the fields & living wages to end hunger!
A Place at the Table is a documentary that was released in 2012 that details the current reality of hunger in the United States. Did you know that roughly 50 million people in this country do not know where their next meal will come from? By watching this documentary you will get an overview of this issue and will learn about the social, political, and personal aspects of hunger. The film focuses on telling the stories of three families and their struggles with hunger and food insecurity. These messages, along with comments made throughout the film by others, make the documentary very powerful and worth watching. If you do not know much about hunger in the U.S this is an eye-opening video. If you are familiar with the issue of hunger, you will likely still learn something new and become more motivated to help end hunger in the U.S.
While the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is not currently boycotting Sakuma Bros. farms, we serve on the board and financially support the National Farm Worker Ministry, which is boycotting Sakuma Bros. in solidarity with Familias Unidas por la Justicia and along with several Presbyterian Hunger Program grantee partners from around the country. Last month, the president of Farm Worker Ministry Northwest, Gabriela Raquel Ríos, PhD, met with Danny Weeden, the CEO of Sakuma Bros. The dialogue will continue this Friday when National Farm Worker Ministry board members, including a PC(USA) representative will meet with Mr. Weeden and John Erb, vice president at Driscoll’s in Washington DC.
Gabriela gives her account of the day below and this video gives the highlights.
Following the National Farm Worker Ministry’s endorsement of the Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ) called boycott of Sakuma Bros., Driscoll’s berries and Häagen-Dazs strawberry ice cream, we have been urging farm worker supporters to sign postcards to the companies. We have thus far received postcards from 750 people of faith and conscience around the country. A delegation from our partner Farm Worker Ministry Northwest agreed to deliver your postcards in person to Sakuma Bros. CEO Danny Weeden. What follows is the report of that delivery attempt. While Mr. Weeden would not accept your postcards, know that the message you – a supporter of justice for farm workers – wanted to send was heard by the company.
Sakuma CEO Danny Weeden Asks for “Dialogue” But Refuses to Accept Your Cards
by Gabriela Raquel Ríos, PhD, President, Farm Worker Ministry Northwest
Dr. Rios reports to the crowd waiting outside of Sakuma offices, including FUJ President Ramon Torres (center) and Tirso Moreno, General Coordinator of Farmworker Association of Florida (left) about her meeting with Mr. Weeden. Debi Covert-Bowlds connects the NFWM national office via her phone.
On January 8, I and Farm Worker Ministry-Northwest (FWM-NW) members, Debi Covert-Bowlds, Carla Shafer, Kristen Barber and Mike Betz traveled to Mt. Vernon in hopes of meeting with Sakuma Bros. CEO, Danny Weeden in support of Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ). Such a meeting, we later discovered, has not been granted to any FUJ member.
With 2015 finished, many people are looking at January as a fresh start. Resolutions are set and everyone is ready to become a better version of themselves. With the season of resolution upon us, we tend to hear a lot of the same commitments. Getting fit seems to be the most popular amidst my friends… Read more »
This year, as a way to engage more in food justice First Presbyterian Church in Brookline (the church I am serving at) has decided that instead of having the congregation purchase poinsettias that we would collect money for the Brookline Food Pantry. This is a great way to remember loved ones while also helping those who cannot afford food in our community. We are asking for $10 donations to be made in memory of or in honor of a loved one. This money will also purchase of a paper ornament that will be decorated by the children of the church and displayed at the front of the church. These names of loved ones will also be listed in the church bulletin.
93% of people in the U.S. want GMO labeling, but the industry has fought tooth and nail to avoid GMO labeling to happen locally or nationally. We will get there, but until then we must do our homework.
Fortunately, avoiding GMOs is very easy. Buy organic or buy from a farmer you know does not use GM seeds. These online resources make finding such food simple.
Local Harvest www.localharvest.org Local Harvest connects people looking for good food with the farmers who produce it.
Eat Wild www.eatwild.org More than 1,400 pasture-based farms, with more farms being added each week. It is the most comprehensive source for grass-fed meat and dairy products in the United States and Canada. Products include: Beef, Pork, Lamb, Veal, Goat, Elk, Venison, Yak, Chickens, Ducks, Rabbits, Turkeys, Eggs, Milk, Cheeses, Wild-Caught Salmon and more!
Green People www.greenpeople.org Find local health food stores, organic food, green products, solar power supplies, green landscaping, organic baby products, doulas, natural pet care, natural beauty products, health and wellness services, green lifestyle products.
Coop Directory Service www.coopdirectory.org Source of information about natural food co-ops.
Eat Well Guide www.eatwellguide.org Search for fresh, locally grown and sustainably produced food in the United States and Canada. The Guide’s thousands of listings include family farms, restaurants, farmers’ markets, grocery stores, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, U-pick orchards and more.
Green Polka Dot Box www.greenpolkadotbox.com Natural and organic, non-GMO foods at wholesale prices, and delivers them directly to your doorstep. Carries 100’s of your favorite brands, even fresh meat and dairy (if within 2 days of Utah via FedEx Ground).
They say ignorance is bliss, and I can’t entirely disagree with that. Before August of this year I didn’t really know anything about food justice, and at times I think that might have been for the better. I have always thought I was doing my fair share when it comes to food ethics- I have… Read more »
A couple of weeks ago I attended a documentary screening and panel discussion in Brookline, MA where we watched the documentary Just Eat It. This documentary is all about the problem of food waste, particularly in Canada and the United States.
Presbyterian Women, Presbyterian Hunger Program, PC(USA) Office of Public Witness, and Educate a Child Initiative are joining with our interfaith partners in Washington DC and the National Farm to School Network and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition to advocate for a strong Child Nutrition Act that also advances farm to school priorities, all with a shared goal of healthier children who are ready to learn, and resilient local food and farm systems.
93% of people in the U.S. want GMO labeling, but the industry has fought tooth and nail to avoid GMO labeling to happen locally or nationally. We will get there, but until then we must do our homework.