Hi Everyone,

I had such an interesting and thought provoking interview this week with Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern. Dr. Minkoff-Zern is an Associate Professor of Food Studies and an affiliated faculty member in the Departments of Geography and Women’s and Gender Studies at Syracuse University. 

In her book, The New American Farmer: Immigration, Race, and the Struggle for Sustainability (MIT Press, 2019), she explores the experiences of Latino/a immigrant farmers as they transition from farmworkers to farm owners, offering a new perspective on racial inequity and sustainable farming.

It is mind boggling to image the obstacles that these farmers had to overcome in order to communicate, get access to land and finances, deal with the bureaucracy, and navigate marketing their produce.  And yet, in spite of these challenges, they are doing it, and they are doing it well! They are filling a void, growing a variety of vegetables from their homelands, and contributing to the movement for an ecological and sustainable food system. It’s very inspiring!

If you missed our interview, you can listen to it here!

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