Farms of Yesterday, Farms of Today, and COVID-19
Farms of Yesterday, Farms of Today, and COVID-19
Friday, April 16th 4-5 PM via Zoom
Produced by Journalism Students at The College of New Jersey
Maria Maroko, Journalism Student
Lana Leonard, Journalism Student
Why It’s Important
Everyone eats food. Despite this, however, the average consumer is, for the most part, unaware of the inner workings of the agricultural industry that produces the food we eat, and of the conditions that laborers within the industry endure.
Similarly, everyone has been affected by the pandemic of COVID-19, whether directly or indirectly, and the farms of New Jersey are no exception.
Since everyone is a participant in the agricultural industry by virtue of buying and consuming food, it is in everyone’s best interest to be informed about both past and current agricultural matters, as working conditions on family farms directly or indirectly affect every living individual.
Main Points of Discussion
- The complexity of intersectionality through the history of agriculture
- Framing of race, gender in the news
- The responsibility of journalism students to understand their impact in engaging with lens of oppression and privilege as reporters and community members during COVID-19
Our Goals
- Attendees will gain a more comprehensive understanding of the conditions on family farms, as well as the role that issues such as race, gender, class, and (more recently) COVID-19 play in these conditions.
- As a result of the information learned during this seminar, attendees will be empowered with enough awareness of the situation to take the necessary steps to enact reform.
Our Panelists
Carena Miles– Carena Miles (she/her) is a Black queer farmer and educator with Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC), a grassroots organization dedicated to addressing the impacts of climatee change and working towards climate just solutions. From Fredericksburg, Virginia, her dedication to land stewardship and food sovereignty grew from time spent outdoors roaming her grandparents’ rural farm land. The great granddaughter of a Black sharecropper, Carena lends a valuable knowledge of the historic inequity, survival, and joy amid Black farmers and growers. She has a M.A in Food Studies from NYU and a B.S in Biology from Hampton University.
Dr. Paul D’Angelo – Dr. Paul D’Angelo (he/him) (Ph.D., Temple University, 2002) is a Professor in the Department of Communication Studies. D’Angelo is an internationally recognized expert on news framing analysis, an area of study that looks at how journalists and their sources co-create the information and meaning of policy issues the get covered in news.
Christina Heimann – Christina Heimann (she/her) is the Farm to School Project Manager at Isles, a Trenton based community development and environmental nonprofit. In her role, she supports school and community gardens by providing technical and educational resources. This includes installing school gardens, teaching hands-on gardening, cooking, and nutrition lessons, and advocating for healthier meals. Christina partners with teachers, students, and community members to support school-wide wellness initiatives that make the school environment healthier. Her work teaches kids how to nourish their bodies and empowers them to find joy in trying new foods.
Dr. Walter Greason – Dr. Walter Greason (he/him) is an esteemed historian, author, and associate professor at Monmouth University in Long Branch, N.J. Dr. Greason is also the chair of the educational counseling ad leadership program at Monmouth. Dr. Greason has long taught, spoken, and written about civil rights and black history in New Jersey. The internationally renowned speaker also has a lived history within America agriculture.
