What does race have to do with food, farming and land? Like everything in our country, everything. We have a lot of work to do in ourselves, our organization and our community to change the myriad of systems that reinforce racism and injustice. We each have a role to play, and we invite you to dig in with us. If you’re looking for ways to educate yourself about race and our food system, here are some resources and steps we can take to more deeply learn, reflect, and act collectively towards a just future:
- We continue to learn so much through the Food Solutions New England Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge. While the official Challenge wrapped up in April, you can work through the Challenge yourself at any time here, or read from the library of racial food equity articles compiled by FSNE.
- As the nation rises up to protest atrocities against Black people, here are some organizations working to advance Black food sovereignty, compiled by Civil Eats. You can also read +10 years of reporting on food justice in the Civil Eats archives.
- You can seek out and support POC farms and organizations here in Maine, like New Roots Cooperative Farm, Somali Bantu Community Association, Isuken Co-op, and the list of businesses and organizations at Black Owned Maine.
- Listen to Leah Penniman, author of ‘Farming While Black’, in this interview about the three pillars of anti-racism work: education, reparations, and centering voices of Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color (POC).You can support Soul Fire Farm, where Leah and others farm to end racism in the food system.
- Learn more about our nation’s history of stolen land and preventing farmers of color from land access. You can support the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust, who are ‘working towards a collective vision of advancing land and food sovereignty in the northeast region through permanent and secure land tenure for POC farmers and land stewards’.
Let’s take this opportunity to engage, learn, and move forward together.
