2018 PVGrows Forum

Attendees will dig deep on the urgent and timely topics of immigration, food access, and land access through a series of speakers and discussions. Join the PVGrows Network to learn from local and regional efforts and craft strategies for action.

Keynote speakers from Vermont’s Migrant Justice will discuss their work, which builds the voice, capacity, and power of the farmworker community. Migrant Justice’s Milk with Dignity Campaign calls on corporations to take responsibility for the farm worker rights abuses in their supply chains. Launched in 2014, the Milk with Dignity Campaign achieved a major success after years of effort when Ben and Jerry’s signed the first Milk with Dignity agreement in 2017. Learn more about Migrant Justice’s work at: migrantjustice.net

In addition to their keynote address, Migrant Justice will join a workshop with local workers, advocates and PVGrows participants to discuss approaches to supporting food system workers in the Pioneer Valley during this time of heightened stress and fear for foreign-born residents.

The PVGrows Forum will also feature a workshop and discussion on food access, with an emphasis on community responses to the suspension of the Healthy Incentives Program and the threats to SNAP in the Farm Bill reauthorization process. A third workshop will address the challenges of land access for urban, rural, and immigrant farmers, recognizing the long history of enslavement and racial discrimination that created and maintain patterns of land and wealth ownership.

Register today to join this conversation about challenges facing the local food system, to broaden and deepen your relationships with others in the field, and to identify ways to take collaborative action for a more just, equitable food system.

Note: We want the PVGrows Forum to be accessible to everyone regardless of financial standing or institutional support. For this reason, there are six different fee level options, ranging from FREE to $75. These options exist to give attendees the opportunity to select a fee level that fits within their budget. Attendees will not receive additional benefits for paying a higher fee.

Live Spanish language interpretation services will be available. To register for the Forum in Spanish, please call CISA at (413) 665-7100 and ask for Mia. 

Register for the 2018 PVGrows Forum

If you registered for the Forum in December:

If you registered for the 2018 PVGrows Forum before the December postponement, you have been automatically registered for the new date. If you will not be attending the April 7th Forum, we will be happy to issue a full refund. Contact Noah for more information. Thank you.

The Forum

PVGrows is a collaborative network dedicated to enhancing the environmental and economic vitality of the Pioneer Valley food system. For years, PVGrows Forums have provided our community valuable opportunities to make new connections, adopt fresh perspectives, and expand our capacity to work together. Our network is made up of professionals, workers, advocates, and students from the fields of agriculture, food justice, public health, community development, local economic development, environmental sustainability, social justice, and more. Our events are open to all!

PVGrows Forums bring together food system stakeholders and participants to spend a day deeply exploring the Pioneer Valley food system. Our events are open to all. The 2018 PVGrows Forum is made possible by a volunteer planning committee, our sponsors, and CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture). Learn more about PVGrows Forums. Contact Noah with questions.