Last month, on October 26, more than 60 families from across Connecticut gathered in Bloomfield for food, fellowship, and organizing for power. The event was the Second Annual Harvesting Change Vision Setting Dinner.
Harvest Change is a collaboration between Chicks Ahoy Farm and Cultivating Justice . Our annual vision-setting dinner is where we reflect on the growing season, share skills learned, and discuss our goals for the next growing season.
This event was centered around supporting individuals often left out of agriculture conversations, promoting food growth, sharing skills, and organizing for meaningful change. In Connecticut, more than 98% of registered farmers are white. The U.S. Department of Agriculture allows only registered farmers and growers to contribute to the Agricultural Census, which is taken every five years and directly shapes the Food and Farm Bill in Congress.
This means the people most vulnerable to food insecurity in Connecticut are not included in the decisions that shape the bill. These are many of the same communities impacted by racial and economic segregation, mass criminalization, and mass incarceration.
“Harvesting Change brought folks together to discuss ways to improve the justice system and equitable access to farming, ” said Sarah Demasi, Katal leader and workshop facilitator. “While sharing a meal and personal experiences, even more opportunities to harvest change are being planned for next year.”
Harvesting Change provided a vital space for community members to share their voices and experiences. Featured workshop sessions included one on efforts to correct probation and parole systems, and another on conducting title searches on vacant land, potential farm land, and to hold landlords accountable.
During the probation and parole session, it was clear that while these systems were designed as alternatives to incarceration, they often serve as direct pathways to it due to many conditions that are often in conflict. Many attendees, either formerly incarcerated or with loved ones affected, bravely shared their stories and engaged in meaningful conversations about solutions.
This event empowered individuals who have rarely had the opportunity to discuss these issues and have their perspectives truly listened to. Harvesting Change was a powerful reminder of the importance of dialogue and community connection in addressing these critical challenges. And as part of the work of cultivating justice, it’s a powerful wrap to the growing season this year and builds our energy for the year ahead.
Cultivating Justice is a multi-generational project with leadership representing young people, elders, and those in between. The mission of Cultivating Justice is to nurture Connecticut’s next generation of farmers of color. The project focuses on teaching, organizing, and developing leadership among Black, Indigenous, and Latin People of Color (BILPOC) through farming, business development, and civic engagement.
We hope you’ll join us at our next major event, held in February 2025 – Growing Power. To get involved, and to keep up with our work, sign up at TKTK and follow us on Instagram.
Taina Manick is Advocacy Coordinator for the Katal Center for Equity, Health, & Justice.
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