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Central Coast Farmworker Appreciation

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Central Coast Farmworker Appreciation Day 

The movement to create healthy communities begins with appreciation. We want to create a day where we not only express gratitude to the hardworking people who put food on our plates, but also educate the community about the connections between food, climate change, and health.

The goal of the day is to bring together youth, farmworkers, community leaders, local organizations, businesses, and public officials to celebrate farmworkers, while creating a platform for the Central Coast community to raise their voices around issues that support the environmental, economic, and physical health of the Central Coast region, the farmworkers, and their community.

There will be live music, free food, healthy cooking demonstrations, education and speakers from community based organizations, and lots of love, goods, and support for farmworkers!

When and Where?
The event will be held on Sunday, June 15th 2014, (Father's Day) at Closter Park in Salinas, CA 11-3pm

Background:
Alliance for Climate Education hosted a series of Youth Action Labs for Central Coast and Bay Area high schools students to connect the dots between food, climate change, and health called Follow the Food. The Central Coast students from Salinas, Watsonville, and Gonzalez, CA wanted to create a Central Coast Farmworker Appreciation Day as a solution to these issues. 

Why? Climate, Our Food System, & Health Impacts

Climate, Our Food System, & Health Impacts:
• Farmworkers experience the effects of climate change on agriculture first hand
• 2013 was the driest year on record for California Climate change, farmworkers are likely to experience increase severity  of heat stress
• Close to 1/3rd of the food produced in this country is grown in California. With California’s record droughts, food prices are likely to increase, this will affect food security.

Organic & Pesticide free agricultural practices reduce impacts on climate and toxin risks
• Organic agriculture has been shown to result in more nutrient content, support water retention, boost soil quality, and reduce pesticide exposure.

Diet
• Although this region produces fresh food, access to health food remains an issue to be addressed

Worker’s Rights, Immigration, and Economics On the job safety:
• Lets decrease/eliminate the dangerous levels of exposure to pesticides & long hours in one position·

Unionization/co-oops:
• Unionization is not available to everybody, while, some don't necessarily help the farmworkers.
• We'd like to discuss option around worker co-ops, fair pay, benefits, and protections
• Wages need to equal the labor, healthcare benefits, immigration reform, and human rights. 

Co-Sponsored by:
Alliance for Climate Education, Food Empowerment Project, Community Food and Justice Coalition, ALBA farms, Facilitating Power, Teatro Alisal

For further inquires or to volunteer contact, AshEl: [email redacted] or [phone redacted]

*Donations are tax deductible

Organizer

Citlalmina Xochiquetzal
Organizer
Salinas, CA

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