Sowing Seeds of Community
According to Gustavo Esteva, the word comida in Spanish refers to “a very complex cultural relationship with the earth” (Esteva, 1994, p. 5). It is a word with no English equivalent that, for all intents and purposes, reflects an “institutionalized permanent scarcity of comida” (Esteva, 1994, p. 6). Unlike the word “food,” comida is a culture of generating, preparing, sharing, eating. It is a communal activity meant to unite people under the most basic human condition: hunger.
How do we save the culture of comida? We have to generate, prepare and share our ideas, ripen our thoughts and pass around the shared knowledge we create in much the same way that we would pass around a bowl of salad. Here at the Huertas Project, we feel it is crucial that everyone has a voice in their community. We want people in the UVM, Vermont, and Latinx migrant community to share their stories about food-security issues, including successes/hardships, interesting articles, questions related to the food security or migrant justice issues, opinions, etc.
Share with us! Venture to the “About” and “Testimonials” pages on our website to find interesting links, stories and experiences. Explore our Huertas Blog archives to see what we’ve been up to, and give us ideas to improve our outreach. We want to hear from YOU, our community. Tell us what you think below in the comment section!
On being an informed participant: How do I find out more about food security/ migrant justice issues in Vermont? Search the web! Go to your local library!
Need ideas for what to look for? Check out:
- Migrant Justice / Justicia Migrante
- UVM Food Feed Blog
- Vermont Folklife Center
- Vermont Farm Worker Wage, Hour and Housing Fact Sheet
- UVM Extension Farmworker Resources
Esteva, G. (1994). Re-embedding food in agriculture. Culture & Agriculture, 13(48), 1–12.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/cuag.1994.13.48.1