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food for maine's future + chatauqua!
Posted: August 11 2010
We're thrilled to have such wonderful partners and co-sponsors for our upcoming Chatauaqua, taking place this weekend in Maine. On Saturday afternoon, we'll be heading to the new Saving Seeds Farm, a project of Food for Maine's Future, one of our event partners. Here's a note from director Bob St. Peter to you!
Greetings Greenhorns!
I'm pleased to be hosting you for a picnic lunch at Food for Maine's Future's new seed farm, aptly named Saving Seeds Farm. This is the first year on new ground and much of the crop is in the process of being turned under for a green manure/winter cover crop of peas and oats. Our potatoes are coming along and I'll have a selection of varieties to send with you on your way further Downeast. During lunch I've got a few things to talk about, including 'why a seed farm?' and 'what's with the Corn Seed Collaborative?'. Mostly I'd like to engage you all in a conversation about how we as young, politically engaged farmers are going to build our movement for a just, equitable, and ecological food system, or what we in Via Campesina call Food Sovereignty. A few questions to consider on your way out to the farm:
How do we engaged other young farmers in the political process and build our collective political voice?
What are we after? Do we have a political agenda?
What are effective strategies we can use, and where do we push? Local, state, federal, international?
How do we fund our movement long-term and ensure that we as young farmers have both the resources available to farm and to organize?
That should keep us plenty busy during your stay. I'm looking forward to meeting you all.
See you Saturday!
Bob St.Peter
Director, Food for Maine's Future