Illinois Humanities and the Illinois State Museum presented Saving Illinois Farms Through Equity and Sustainability, the next event in the NEA Big Read: Reconsidering the American Dream series Thursday evening.  This panel discussion features Illinois farmers and advocates who are helping to pave the way for a more equitable, sustainable, just, and thriving path forward for our farms and our state. Panelists include Alexandra Sossa, Bilingual Executive Director, Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project, Fred Carter, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Black Oaks Center, and Renzo Ceme Vinces, Local Food Systems and Small Farms Educator, University of Illinois Extension.

Though Illinois is approximately 75% farm land and ranks fifth nationally in the export of agricultural products, Illinois farmers are struggling to sustain their farms, both financially and ecologically, while those who are hired to provide labor – often immigrants – face dangerous working conditions, poverty wages, and unstable housing. Panelists will examine the challenges facing Illinois farming and illuminate the many coalitions and efforts in action to promote equity and sustainability in the industry.

Alexandra Sossa has more than 32 years of experience performing community outreach and education for very low-income Latinx immigrants. She has a long history of public service dating back to her work with coffee plantation workers in Colombia, where she also worked for nearly a decade with the Attorney General’s Office. She presently sits on the Steering Committee of the Chicago Region Food System Fund, which responds to hunger and business disruption by bolstering the region’s communities and local food system.

Fred Carter, alongside his wife Dr. Jifunza Wright-Carter, is the co-founder of Black Oaks Center. Black Oaks Center is a non-profit coalition focused on sustainable agriculture, environmental justice, and community empowerment. With a shared passion for promoting food sovereignty, they work tirelessly to provide education, training, and resources to marginalized communities, promoting self-sufficiency and resilience.

Renzo Ceme Vinces is the Extension Local Food Systems and Small Farms Educator serving Grundy, Kankakee, & Will Counties.  In this role, Renzo empowers communities and provides Illinois residents with the resources and confidence they need to produce, grow, and consume local agricultural products.

This event is a part of the Illinois Humanities program, The NEA Big Read: Reconsidering the American Dream, which includes a series of free book groups, public events, and hands-on workshops that explore and challenge our understanding of the “American Dream” through two engaging books: Sarah Smarsh’s Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth and Patricia Engel’s Infinite Country.