The purpose of our podcast series is to uplift the voices of our members and allies who are on the front lines of the struggles for a fair, just, and resilient agriculture system rooted in food sovereignty, agroecology, peace, and international solidarity, highlighting their actions and advocacy in support of diverse family farmers producing healthy local and regional foods while also challenging the agribusiness narrative to realize systemic change.
Episode #1: Voices from Farmer Protests of the 80s & 90s
“It all could not have happened had we not been working together.” – Ben Burkett
Anthony Pahnke (FFD vice president) sits down with Denise O’Brien and Ben Burkett to discuss their experiences in farm activism and protests nationally and internationally over the decades. They reflect on their life-long experiences being part of these movements, fighting corporate agriculture, offering perspective on current times as well.
Ben Burkett is a vegetable and soy farmer, active in the Indian Springer farm cooperative, and an active farmer during the 1980s farm crisis. He recalls protests during the Pigford v. Glickman Trials, at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in Brussels with European farmers, among many others. Ben is the former state coordinator of Mississippi Association of Co-ops, a member of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and former president of the National Family Farm Coalition state.
Denise O’Brien is a organic farmer of 50 years, also began protesting in the 1980s farm crisis. She recalls protests from Miami’s GATT, Seattle’s WTO , in Beijing with Chinese farmers, among many others. is the founder of Prairie Fire Rural Action, Farm Unity Coalition, Women, Food and Agriculture Network, and Nishnabotna Water Defenders. She is also a former president of the National Family Farm Coalition.
Click here to see on Youtube
Audio available below as well:
