CIVIC ACTION
Myers Produce is committed to the shared work of dismantling systemic racism and inequality within our food system. We recognize that the passive acceptance of homogeneity in our vendor network and our customer base is supportive of the social inequities in our food system. We are committed to increasing the racial and economic diversity of the communities involved in the work that we do.
In June 2020, we decided to take the following three steps. We will keep this site updated with the tools and resources we have used, and the additional actions we have chosen to take. The latest updates (in turquoise below) were posted here in April 2021.
1. Our management team will participate in anti-racism training to educate ourselves on building actively anti-racist policies and habits within our company. We will implement policies based on what we learn.
Our core management team started meeting every two weeks in February 2021, and civ ic action is always a part of this conversation.
Annie, Beck, and Sarah participated in the Uprooting Racism Training led by Soul Fire Farm in January 2021..
Our core management team participated in this Racialized Trauma Course online in Fall 2020.
We are following some instagram accounts that are new to us, including @wastefreemarie, @laylafsaad, @blackfoodjustice', @ibramxk, @blackfoodfolks
We have started reading and listening to the following materials, which seemed like a good place to start:
2. We will work to diversify our customer base and our network of farmers.
Annie became part of the Govern'or’s Commission on the Future of Agriculture in Vermont in April 2021. This commission includes a directive to lower barriers to entry and facilitate greater inclusivity, access, equity, and diversity in agriculture in Vermont.
We are hoping to collaborate with Gardening the Community in Springfield, either as a vendor or with skills-based volunteering.
We made a 35% value donation in the sale of one our vehicles to the Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success, and are in touch about future collaboration.
We are in touch with farmer Hameed at Agric Organics, who we hope will be a Myers Produce vendor in 2021
We are in touch with CISA in Western Mass regarding opportunities to work with BIPOC growers and producers, as well as opportunities to offer skills-based volunteering to BIPOC organizations
We have been collecting information about BIPOC-owned vendors and customers that are aligned with our mission, and that might be interested in working with us,. The next step is to reach out to these places and start a conversation. The current list of farms/customers/resources includes:
3. We will use our financial resources to support organizations working to dismantle racism in our food system. We will open the door to additional collaborations with Myers as well.
Since June 2020, we have made ongoing monthly donations to the organizations NEFOC, Harlem Grown, The Food Project, and Neighbors Together. More information about each of these organizations is detailed below,.
We are matching any donations that our employees make to these same four organizations.
From July through December 2020, Neighbors Together accepted weekly food donations delivered by Myers Produce to help supply their community kitchen. Our farmers donate the food, we donate the transportation, delivery, and coordination of logistics. We made our first delivery on Thursday July 30.
From July through December 2020, we donated our transportation services in support of the Food Issues Group and West Phillie Produce. We didn't seek out these organizations, but they found us, and we will continue to donate our services if/when they inquire.
Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust (NEFOC)
The NEFOC Land Trust has a vision to advance land sovereignty in the northeast region through permanent and secure land tenure for Indigenous, Black, Latinx, and Asian farmers and land stewards who will use the land in a sacred manner that honors their ancestors’ dreams - for sustainable farming, human habitat, ceremony, native ecosystem restoration, and cultural preservation.
Harlem Grown
Harlem Grown is an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire youth to lead healthy and ambitious lives through mentorship and hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition. Founded in 2011, Harlem Grown operates local urban farms, increases access to and knowledge of healthy food for Harlem residents, and provides garden-based development programs to Harlem youth.
The Food Project
The Food Project is a non-profit organization based in Lincoln, MA. Their mission is to create a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. Each year, The Food Project hires 120 teens, grows 200,000 pounds of food, and donates more than 180,000 servings of fresh produce to hunger relief organizations across eastern Massachusetts.
Neighbors Together
Neighbors Together is an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty in Ocean Hill, Brownsville and Bedford-Stuyvesant, three of the lowest-income areas in New York City. The residents of these neighborhoods are predominantly African-American, They provide food and social services five days a week, serving over 10,000 New Yorkers annually. They are focused on eliminating the need for emergency relief programs altogether.