More Than 80 Participate in Bilingual Field Day

More than 80 people participated in a bilingual Farm Field Day at West Haven Farm in Ithaca, New York, focused on equity in agriculture and the impacts of climate change on food production this past Sunday, July 28. The event was organized by the Cornell Small Farms Program’s Futuro en Ag team, along with the Northeast Organic Farmers Association of New York (NOFA-NY) and West Haven Farm. The event was also supported by the New York Soil Health Program. The presentations were conducted primarily in Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation into English.

The hosts, Carlos Aguilera and Lorena Mendoza, along with their staff and technical specialists from Cornell, shared their experience and knowledge of production in high tunnels, microgreens production, the importance of soil in agriculture, soil health, reduced tillage, cover crops and seed saving.

The afternoon session focused on the food system and the importance of the participation of small-scale producers, entrepreneurs and other actors in the food chain. Owners of Four Leaf Farm and Mama Said Hand Pies also participated, providing vegetables, chickens and cooking prowess for the event.

The event highlighted the importance of equity in agriculture and sustainable farming practices. The organizers noted the effort of New York’s Latino/a/x agricultural community, who attended from Central and Western New York, Hudson Valley, Long Island and New York City.