Our sold-out Pastures of Plenty? Food, Justice & Labor in the Hudson Valley conference took place at the Mohonk Mountain House Conference Center on Monday, November 5, 2018. Presentations and discussions were in English and Spanish with simultaneous interpretation provided for all attendees by Caracol Language Coop.
This full-day conference at Mohonk Mountain House Conference Center offered an unusual opportunity to hear directly from farm workers as well as a wide range of participating organizations and their representatives, including: Rural & Migrant Ministry; Emma Kreyche, Worker Justice Center of New York; Bea Stern, the Ogden Foundation; Caitlin Salemi, Hudson Valley Farm Hub, Nick Cipollone, Rondout Valley Growers Association; and Jody Bolluyt, Roxbury Farm. Diana Zuckerman, a teacher at Rondout Valley High School, brought six student members of the school’s human rights club (and joined musician Bill Vanaver for a bilingual rendition of “This Land is Your Land.”) Other schools represented by student attendees were The Mount Academy, Bard College, Haverford College, UC Santa Cruz, and Columbia University. The keynote address was given by Margaret Gray, Adelphi University, Department of Political Science and author of Labor and the Locavore: The Making of a Comprehensive Food Ethic. You can view a PDF of her presentation here: M Gray Mohonk Nov 2018.
Agriculture is a fundamental part of the Hudson Valley economy and is essential as a local source of food. Perishable food (vegetables, fruit and dairy) farms are common here and in neighboring regions. This labor-intensive work is frequently supplied by seasonal workers, who are often immigrants from Central America and the Caribbean. We heard directly from 21 members of this largely hidden community, who described the many challenges they face in doing some of the hardest work in our society while experiencing the uncertainties of seasonal/migratory labor. In addition, local farmers discussed how they managed hiring seasonal workers.
“Our goal was to break down language and economic barriers in order to bring people together who ordinarily would never meet to share their stories, concerns, life paths, and questions,” said Patty Matteson, Mohonk Consultations board member and a conference organizer. “We wanted this conference to enable farmers, farm workers and the public to better understand and support each other.” She added, “Farm workers are generally not included in most stories we read in the mainstream press about farmers or farming.”
Many thanks to Ulster Savings Bank for being an event sponsor, and a special thanks to Scenic Hudson and members of our local community who underwrote farm worker and student attendance. We would also like to express our deep appreciation to the organizations that helped make this conference a reality, listed below with links to their websites so that you can learn more and stay up to date.
Conference topics, presenters, and organizations
• Keynote
Margaret Gray, Adelphi University, Department of Political Science
• Stories of farm workers
Due to work schedules, participants are likely to be confirmed on short notice.
• Q&A
• Small group discussion
• Afternoon panel
What are alternative paths to a just food system in relationship to farm workers?
Caitlin Salemi, Hudson Valley Farm Hub
Bea Stern, the Ralph E. Ogden Foundation
Nick Cipollone, Rondout Valley Growers Association
Rural & Migrant Ministry
Emma Kreyche, Worker Justice Center of New York
Jody Bolluyt, Roxbury Farm
• Q&A
• Small group discussion
• Reception with cash bar
Thank you to our conference sponsors and co-organizers:
Hudson Valley Farm Hub
Mid-Hudson Migrant Education Program
Ralph E. Ogden Foundation
Rural & Migrant Ministry
Scenic Hudson
Ulster Savings Bank
Photo of migrant laborers in Wayne County, NY apple orchard by Andrea Orejarena, courtesy of Rural Migrant Ministry, Poughkeepsie NY.