Sharing Stories and Planting Seeds: The Changemakers Panel

There aren’t many people who’ve been lucky enough to move to a place where they’ve already planted a garden.  But when we finally packed up our office into boxes and made the move to our third site last September, it was the Youth Garden that greeted us and made the space feel like home.  As we struggled to detangle our rat’s nest of cables and cords, our sweet potato vines gracefully sprawled over the raised beds in a green gush of heart shaped leaves.  While we frantically tossed folders and binders on any available flat surface (but mostly on the floor), attentive okra pods reminded us of nature’s ability to economize on space.  And as we separated spoons from whisks in our new kitchen space, Thai pumpkins silently swelled, filling in the spaces and pushing aside the thick warped stalks that bore them.

Though we didn’t quite match the ambitious pace of our garden, we’ve settled into our new home this spring.  This last week also marked a milestone for us, as we hosted our second panel of food advocates  who gathered to share their stories about fighting for change in the food system.  The common thread that connected our panelists was a love of good, sustainable food that ultimately led them to leadership roles in very different fields.

John Murphy, the only chef on the panel, shared how his work in kitchens left him feeling unfulfilled and disconnected from the many guests that dined at his restaurants.  In his current role as Director of Kitchen Operations at Miriam’s Kitchen, he enjoys being able to craft menus that welcome guests and provide a more thoughtful, holistic form of nourishment.

John’s experience working with frontline operations for a DC-based non-profit was balanced by panelists who do work on national and international food campaigns.  Catherine Kastleman inspired us all to get involved with Food Day, a national day of food awareness spearheaded by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.  By working to coordinate efforts by groups, organizations, and individuals across the country, Food Day organizers are hoping to raise national consciousness around food by showing citizens how they can support local food campaigns.  Food campaigns were also central to Salvador Sarmiento’s story, and many students learned about the phenomenal story behind the“Boot the Bell” campaign for the first time.  Salvador shared how university students worked togethere to hold Taco Bell accountable for their role in institutionalizing mistreatment of tomato pickers and flexed their collective muscle to stand up for fair food on campuses across the nation. 

Sierra Hayes, a trainer with Posse Foundation, and Anthony Richardson, a representative of the Real Food Real Jobs campaign, both touched on the importance of upward mobility, resource sharing, and community support in the effort to empower the next generation of food leaders.  Despite their differing professional experiences, Sierra and Anthony shared how support they received from their families inspired them to reach out to others and work together toward a common good. 

After the presentations, participants headed off to round-table discussions for a chance to chat with panelists in a small group format.  Conversation ranged from cheese making to living in Los Angeles to how to balance work and family life, speaking to the diversity of roles and efforts that we wanted to celebrate by convening this panel. 

At the end of the day, this event was just one more way that we could follow in our garden’s footsteps to find a space, prepare the ground, plant seeds, and sustain new growth that has a life and energy far greater than each one of us on our own.