“A food system that denies us our human rights is not sustainable:” Migrant Justice takes center stage at Farm to Plate
Migrant Justice recently participated in the 13th annual Vermont Farm to Plate gathering, bringing a message of human rights from the farmworker community to the sold-out conference.
Every year, farmers, advocates, and government officials from across the state come together to share strategies for strengthening Vermont’s food and agriculture systems. This year, hundreds of attendees joined sessions led by Migrant Justice and listened to leader Thelma Gómez deliver one of the keynote addresses.
Thelma shared her powerful story of transformation, from a teenaged farmworker suffering discrimination and wage theft, to a nationally-recognized organizer and a key architect of the Milk with Dignity Program. She concluded her speech with a call to the assembled changemakers:
"We can’t talk about food systems without talking about farmworkers. An industry that exploits our labor, that abuses us daily, is not sustainable. As we work to transform food systems in Vermont, we must make sure that we are creating a system that recognizes the rights of the farmworkers who keep it running."
Migrant Justice has made key contributions to the Farm to Plate Network and similar gatherings over the years. Thanks to the tireless work of community leaders like Thelma, the human rights of farmworkers are firmly on the agenda for Vermont’s agricultural future.
As you know, this work takes resources. With the end of the year approaching, we are encouraging people to bolster our human rights mission with a donation. As part of those efforts, all next week we will be making calls to Migrant Justice supporters to update them on our recent accomplishments and our plans for the year ahead. Our annual phonebank “teletón” is a key part of our fundraising efforts – and we can’t do it without your help!