Field Notes: tell your local food or farm story!

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Local food and farming will take the stage this November at the Academy of Music for Field Notes: An Afternoon of Storytelling!

The call is open for storytellers to perform at Field Notes!

Do you have a story about local food and farming that you would love to share? Pitch it to us! You could be selected to tell it on stage at CISA’s Field Notes, which will be held at 2pm on November 18th at the Academy of Music.

The goal of the event is to shine a light on the many ways that local food and farming has impacted lives – in ways big and small – across the Pioneer Valley. We hope to have a variety of tones so feel free to pitch stories ranging from silly moments to more intense and formative experiences. We’re casting a wide net and anyone who has a story that ties in with growing, cooking, selling, or eating food will be considered. Whether you’re a farm owner, farm worker, chef, waiter, food processor, distributor, shopper, gardener, passionate home cook, or anyone else with a story to share about local food or farming, this event is for you.

Note: CISA will provide interpretation services for storytellers whose preferred language is Spanish. For more information, visit the Spanish language event page.

Story criteria:

• Stories should be personal narratives from your real-life experience.
• Stories should be stories! Stories have characters and a beginning, middle, and end–think memoir, not op-ed. Selected storytellers will have the opportunity to refine their stories with CISA’s support ahead of the event, so you don’t need to have a perfectly crafted story to pitch us.
• Stories should be connected to the theme of local food and farming, with a focus on Western Massachusetts.
• Stories should be around five minutes.
• Storytellers will perform their stories on stage in front of a large audience, so be prepared to rehearse ahead of time!

How to enter your story for consideration:

• Think through your story. It doesn’t need to be polished, but you should be able to explain the story’s arc.
• Call our designated phone line, 413-453-9055, and leave a voicemail with a two-minute pitch.
• The deadline for submission is Friday, May 18th.

Timeline and process:

• All selected storytellers will attend a free storytelling workshop.
• Storytellers will have opportunities throughout the summer and fall to edit, workshop, and get feedback on their stories.

This event will be recorded for CISA’s website and social media.

Questions? Contact Noah Baustin via email or at 413-665-7100, ext. 34.