UFW and Farm Aid Landmarks

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CALAMITY HOWLER/A.V. Krebs

UFW and Farm Aid Landmarks

Two significant milestones in the continuing struggle to bring social and economic justice to rural America will be observed this month. Although they appear at first glance to be unrelated, they nevertheless signify an important joining of forces that history may well judge a turning point in the relationship between family farmers and the men, women and children who harvest our crops.

On Sept. 16 the United Farm Workers will commemorate the 40th anniversary of its strike vote in Delano, Calif., against the local table grape growers. Two days later in Tinley Park, outside of Chicago, Farm Aid will hold its 20th-anniversary concert.

In the ensuing years, both the family farm and farm worker movements have achieved significant victories and achievements, despite being arrayed against the awesome power of corporate agribusiness and their minions in the White House, Congress and state capitols.
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Reflecting on his own life Chavez later observed: "All my life, I have been driven by one dream, one goal, one vision: To overthrow a farm labor system in this nation that treats farm workers as if they were not important human beings. Farm workers are not agricultural implements -- they are not beasts of burden -- to be used and discarded. That dream was born in my youth. It was nurtured in my early days of organizing. It has flourished."

One thing that he said that first day we met, however, has stuck with me throughout the years when it comes to the dynamics of modern day agriculture.

If, he told me, family farmers would only realize that they have more in common with farm workers than they do with the large growers, who are largely creatures of the banks, and agribusiness, "together we could form the most powerful agricultural bargaining agent in the history of this nation, which would mean fairer prices for what the farmer produces and fair and living wages for the men and women who harvest the crops of their farms."
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"Right now, America is on the cusp of a 'good food' movement, promoted and supported by Farm Aid," said Farm Aid's dedicated Executive Director Carolyn Mugar. "The American public recognizes family farmers as their resource for food that is local, humanely-raised, organic and sustainable, and consumers are reaching for these foods in grocery stores, at farmers' markets, in schools and even in hospitals. This demand offers growing economic opportunity for family farmers to thrive."
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Farm Aid has raised more than $27 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture. Through public education and direct grants, Farm Aid has supported national, regional and local efforts to build and strengthen family farm food systems.
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For more information about the UFW and Farm Aid's 20th anniversary, visit www.ufw.org and www.farmaid.org.

A.V. Krebs is director of the Corporate Agribusiness Research Project, PO Box 2201, Everett, WA 98203. He publishes a free email newsletter, The Agribusiness Examiner. Email [e-mail]; Web site www.electricarrow.com/CARP/.
From The Progressive Populist, Sept. 15, 2005