Green | November 08, 2011 | 31 comments

Rural farmers unite to feed Wall Street protestors

source: http://culture.wnyc.org/articles/features/2011/nov/03/rural-farmers-feed-occupy-wall-street-...

JanforGore
Every night at Zuccotti Park, dinner is served around 7 P.M. What protesters may not realize is that their meals are made from fresh, organic produce donated by a dozen or so small farms located throughout the Northeast.

Since the early weeks of the protest, regional farmers have been coming down independently to Occupy Wall Street to donate fruits and vegetables. In those days, meals were prepared in volunteers' homes. Yet, as the protest quickly gained momentum, food preparation needed to get more organized, and Occupy Wall Street set up a daily dinner operation out of a soup kitchen in East New York, Brooklyn.

Once they got use of this professional cooking space, groups of farmers from different regional areas—from upstate New York, Vermont and western Massachusetts—started making regular trips down with produce.

"They all had this related thing: They're small organic farmers competing against big commercial and industrial farmers," says Heather Squire, the full-time Occupy Wall Street volunteer who manages the space. “The kitchen became a place for farmers to come together. It represented that place to take their issues to."

Now, participating farmers from Massachusetts and Vermont make deliveries twice a week, and they've created an organization to represent their efforts and raise awareness of issues affecting the rural small-farm community.

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31 comments // Rural farmers unite to feed Wall Street protestors // Video

  • jacksonN
    • +1
      jacksonN  

    • OUTSTANDING!!!!! KO needs to blab this on countdown,this is taking it to the street UPLIFTING, right there with CROSBY&NASH!!!!! ....THANK YOU RURAL FARMERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • 7 months ago
  • CreditFigaro
  • AreOh
    • +3
      AreOh  

    • It's happening. People are finally beginning to understand we do not need all of the things promoted, advertised and hocked onto us. We just to be decent to each other and most of the problems we have will resolve themselves.

    • 7 months ago
  • ReMarker
  • JanforGore
  • MotherForTruth
  • BimMon
    • +3
      BimMon  

    • The people united will NEVER be defeated! Farmers, students, vets, union members, civil rights activists, musicians, biz people, etc etc etc

    • 7 months ago
  • JanforGore
  • GRC54
  • MotherForTruth
  • JanforGore
    • +2
      JanforGore  
    • MotherForTruth:

      Yes, especially regarding this movement. The media does nothing but focus on one aspect of it (if it covers it at all) because their owners want a certain perception put out. The established elites are shaking in their boots truth be known. This country is so polarized however that it is now truly dangerous to our continued existence as a nation I believe if we allow these perceptions to take predecence over the truth. Without truth there is no freedom. So it's time to stand up to the oligarchy run by this media and their partners in crime. People standing together for a common purpose and helping each other through it is the spirit of America I personally have longed to see return, because we have lost it. I truly hope this grows all over the country and we can also kick Monsanto and all these other companies out of our food system ourselves since our govt. won't do it. We can grow our own seeds and food and bring it to market and also use it to help those who need it. Despite what heartless politicians like Bachman, et al say those who hunger must be fed and that doesn't mean with just food, but with justice. Sorry for going on but looking at this whole thing I see so much promise and I hope it continues. We also need to Occupy our hearts.

      *On edit I do have to exclude Current TV regarding media coverage and thank them for covering it - maybe someone -could cover this aspect as well? It is our fossil fuel/industrialized food policy afterall that has led to much of the economic/environmental/social collapse and misuse we see now.

    • 7 months ago
  • MotherForTruth
  • kayopunk
  • artemis6
  • VoyagerFilms
  • jmarkred
  • Lisayou
  • chew_chew
  • maasanova
  • squarethecircle
  • JanforGore
  • squarethecircle
  • KB723
  • ilikeike
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
    • +6
      JanforGore  

    • This is what I was hoping to see. This is America- small farmers. For anyone who disses this movement who is also against Monsanto, you are a walking contradiction. These protests seek to bring to light a corrupted system that goes all the way to our food, water and the lengths gone to in order to own them. This is about all of us and to me those doing this are not just true Americans, but good human beings who care for a better quality of life that we on the whole have lost sight of through greed. To those doing this, THANK YOU.

    • 7 months ago
  • DanCastro
    • +3
      DanCastro  
    • JanforGore:

      maybe OWS could begin to sponsor farmers markets as part of the group so people can make choices that matter and see how family farmers can respond if we can organize and make their generosity something that can work for all. It would be nice if this was like a part of the family weekend to visit OWS and catch up on what is happening or how people can help the movement.

    • 7 months ago
  • ilikeike
  • DanCastro
    • +5
      DanCastro  
    • ilikeike:

      it.s a fledgling movement and we have to accept less than perfect as the movement understands its power and its goals. i would love them to have farmer's markets and crafts faires to raise money, and as a less threatening way for people to visit OWS sites and talk to the people moving our democracy forward! maybe green tech classes or learning how to "rough" it and make do w/the less the rich leave US.

    • 7 months ago
  • squarethecircle
  • JanforGore
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