Dakota Rural Action is teaming up with grassroots family farm groups in ten neighboring states to explore how we can build our power to take on Big Ag. Grassroots, family farm groups have had some wins here and there through strong campaigns, but we’re losing ground to corporate agriculture. Big Ag is running roughshod on our politics, our food system, our health and our communities.

 

In part, that’s because the dominant narrative (or common belief) about agriculture reinforces the idea that industrial food production is the only way we can feed a hungry world. And we pay a heavy price for that narrative: GMOs, super weeds, diet-related diseases, factory farming, land grabs and global hunger. Meanwhile the local food movement, family farms, CSAs, etc., are dismissed as impractical or even “elitist”.

 

With the guidance of Dave Mann of the Grassroots Policy Project, an expert on building grassroots movements, 150 leaders from ten states will collectively participate in a process to help us begin to see the dominant narrative in agriculture, understand its impact on us, and develop a new narrative based on our values.

 

As part of that process, DRA will bring 15-25 of our leaders together for a pair of meetings this Fall. At these meetings, we’re going to look at how the dominant narrative about agriculture impacts us, and begin the important work of shifting the narrative as a new way to build our power and take back control of our food & farming systems.

 

Participants will be introduced to an exciting new way to think about our organizing work and learn how we can work together to achieve major change in local, regional, and national food & farming policy.

 

The first “Dominant Narrative” meeting is on Saturday, September 7 in Rapid City, with a second on November 1 in Spearfish. Participants are asked to commit to attend both meetings. Space is limited. If you’d like more information or to request a spot at the table, please contact Holly at 605.697.5204 or holly@dakotarural.org.