In the U.S., there is a growing movement of immigrant limited-resource farmers. Many of these immigrant farmers are farmworkers who’ve been able to transition to farm owner/operators. However, this group of new farmers have specific unmet needs, mostly due to limited knowledge of and outreach about resources and assistance available to them to improve and maintain their farm operations, particularly following a natural disaster. Representatives of the Farmworker Association of Florida and the Rural Coalition will lead a discussion about their efforts to identify and organize Latino small farmers in agricultural communities in Florida, help them understand the importance of their participation in the agriculture census and the support available through federal programs, and build their capacity to access needed resources and to explore various farm ownership options.

Workshop participants will engage in dialogue about the root causes of immigration, the effects of U.S. trade policies on small farmers in other countries, building relationships with and organizing domestic immigrant farmers, and helping them to identify and address their needs so that their farms will thrive and prosper. They will also discuss how to work together to grow and strengthen the immigrant small farmer movement. This event connects to the following USSF crosscutting themes: neoliberalism, imperialism, institutionalized racism, connecting past and current struggles, movement building, environmental justice and sustainability, building solidarity with allies, learning from the experiences of others, popular education, and ideas for building “another world”. The workshop will be presented and handouts will be provided bilingually in English and Spanish.