Friday January 29th marked the first event of the Colleges Nine and Ten Food Justice Outreach Project.  Dr. Flora Lu, Provost of Colleges Nine and Ten, worked with a dedicated group of interns to organize “Food Justice 101” with Dr. Ann Lopez. The event proved to be an invaluable experience in communicating the concepts of food justice and food sovereignty, illuminated through a discussion of personal stories and real-life circumstances facing migrant farmworkers of west-central Mexico as well as Watsonville and Salinas, California.

 

Dr. Ann Lopez, a UCSC alum and author of “The Farmworkers’ Journey,” informed the audience of the dangerous health threats these communities face, such as pesticide exposure, and alluded to the strenuous work days and lack of workers' compensation. The discussion of food justice, food sovereignty, and their effects on the community of farmworkers .

 

Nothing gave more of an eye-opening perspective into the farmworkers' journey than the story of Ernestina. A single mother of three and a farmworker who works closely with Dr. Lopez, Ernestina joined the discussion with two of her youngest sons. She captivated the audience by telling her account as a single parent raising three kids and struggling with the gruesome hours out in the hot sun, the effects of pesticides on her family and community, her aspirations beyond farmwork, and much more.

 

The language barrier between some UCSC students and Ernestina certainly did not prevent dialogue. After a heartfelt conversation will Ernestina, the event concluded with dinner consisting of tamales, rice, and beans. Attendees also had the opportunity to create buttons to raise awareness of the concepts of food justice and food sovereignty within and beyond the UCSC community. We appreciate the knowledge that Dr. Lopez and Ernestina shared, as it is through their service that this educational event was made possible. 

 

Is food justice important to you? Are you looking to get involved?

Dr. Lu’s Food Justice Outreach Project is looking for new interns for the Spring 2016 Quarter. If you are interested in becoming an intern, please email epere20@ucsc.edu. You can also follow this team’s work by liking our Facebook page Calabasas Garden Project and following our Instagram page @calabasasfarm.