SPC Hosts Grise's a farm for meme: A Discussion on Food Security and Food Sovereignty
October 16, 2020
St. Philip’s College hosted a farm for meme: A Discussion on Food Security and Food Sovereignty on October 12, 2020. The event, sponsored by the St. Philip’s College Communications and Learning Department and the Creative and Communication Arts Institute, included panelist: Virginia Grise, Writer; Jess Mayes, SAC Eco Centro Conservation Research & Outreach Coordinator; and Jovanna Lopez, SAC Eco Centro Urban Agriculture Community Coordinator.
The virtual event was designed to inspire a conversation around the importance of food sovereignty and the many impacts food deserts and food insecurity have on our communities. The event began with a reading of a farm for meme by playwright Virginia Grise. A farm for meme is a story about semilleros (seedbeds) and the South Central Farm built in a vacant lot after the 1992 Los Angeles Rebellion. The reading was followed by a panel discussion exploring the importance of food sovereignty as it relates to living a life of dignity and self-sufficiency.
Virginia Grise shared her experience with the activists who worked on the South Central Farm which inspired the creation of a farm for meme. Jovanna Lopez spoke to food insecurity and the lack of access to fresh, affordable, and organic produce in San Antonio, with a focus on the East Side. Jess Mayes discussed the importance of permaculture and the connection between food, economics, politics and culture.
The event led up to the Alamo Colleges District Pop-Up Market hosted by the St. Philip’s College Advocacy Center on October 15, 2020. The pop-up event partner with the San Antonio Food Bank, EcoCentro, Cara Mia Theatre, and Books in the Barrio to distribute food, seed packets and a farm for meme coloring books. Approximately 12,000 pounds of food was donated to over 90 families.
To learn more about the services available through the St. Philip’s College Advocacy Center, click here.
SPC Pop-Up Market Schedule
Thursday, Nov. 19
3 - 5 p.m.
Parking Lot 22/23
Thursday, Dec. 17
3 - 5 p.m.
Parking Lot 22/23