Contact:
Patti Naylor, FFD president, 515-370-3919
Anthony Pahnke, FFD vice president, 612-916-9148
John E. Peck, FFD executive director, 608-345-3918
Fri. Dec. 6th 3:00 – 4:30 pm UW-Madison, Rm. 206 Ingraham Hall (1155 Observatory Dr.) Global Solidarity, Farmer Protests, and Food Sovereignty discussion – cohosted by LACIS Program
Sat. Dec. 7th 5:00 – 9:00 pm Park Hall (307 Polk St. in Sauk City, WI) John Kinsman Beginning Farmer Food Sovereignty Prize Award Banquet and Ceremony
*More speaking events to be announced in Illinois and Iowa, check back here for more*
Family Farm Defenders is proud to welcome two guests with the Spanish Coordination of Farmers and Ranchers (COAG) – Javier Fatas, dryland grain farmer, and Luis Portillo, dairy farmer/cheese maker – on a solidarity tour across WI, IA, and IL. COAG is a national grassroots coalition of over 150,000 farmers and ranchers, and is very active as a European member of La Via Campesina (LVC), the largest umbrella organization for farmers, fishers, herders, and indigenous people in the world.
They will be visiting agricultural operations, holding interviews, and joining the public for several events to discuss the wave of farmer protests across Europe against unfair prices and trade policies, international solidarity, as well as the growing importance of food sovereignty in light of ongoing conflicts and recent elections.
As the keynote speakers at the 2024 John Kinsman Beginning Farmer Food Sovereignty Award ceremony on Sat. Dec. 7th from 5:00 – 9:00 pm at Park Hall in Sauk City.
The Spanish farmers will also be celebrating the winners of this year’s prize: Shae and Anna Pesek of Over the Moon Farm in Coggon, IA. Over the Moon began in 2019 as a cut flower farm, but has now grown and diversified into pasture pigs and poultry. Shae and Anna have also helped launch the Iowa Meat Marketplace as a food hub to support other smallscale farmers and build their rural community’s economy.
The suggested donation for the John Kinsman Award Ceremony is $35 – children under 12 are free – and will feature a seasonal harvest banquet prepared by Lisa Buttonow of the Branding Iron Roadhouse in Lime Ridge, and featuring local food from many FFD members and allies. Prize sponsors who contribute $100 or more receive two tickets to the event, as well as complimentary t-shirts.
For more up to date information on the Spanish farmers Midwest solidarity tour itinerary, including subsequent events in IA and IL, please visit our website: www.familyfarmers.org
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