TEDxFruitvale: Harvesting Change Conference
Bringing together farmworkers and labor-focused activists, academics, and artists
In October 2011, the Bon Appétit Management Company Foundation hosted TEDxFruitvale: Harvesting Change, a special one-day conference that focused on farmworkers and labor movements, at Mills College near the Fruitvale district of Oakland, CA. The 24 speakers and 100-plus attendees included farmworkers, farmers, activists, artists, students, professors, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs. The live webcast was watched by groups all around the country; the 23 videos are available on YouTube via the links below.
SESSION ONE: MEET
- Maisie Ganzler, host: Conference Opener
- Will Scott, African American Farmers of California: Bring Back Black Farmers
- Robin Romano, The Harvest: Children in Our Fields
- José Gutierrez, former farmworker: Leaving the Fields Behind
- Carlos Jackson, visual artist: Images of the Farmworker Movement
- Flavio Cornejo, physician: What Farmwork Does to a Body
- Maria Catalán, Catalán Farms (pictured above): From Farmworker to Farm Owner
- Cameron Sinclair, Architecture for Humanity*: Open Source Architecture [*Pre-recorded TED talk]
- Wayne Pacelle, The Humane Society of the United States: Animals, Humans: We’re All Connected
- Sanjay Rawal, documentary filmmaker: Filming the Faces Behind Our Food [Talk removed as film now further along, watch Food Chains trailer]
- Performance: Edith Gawler and Bennett Konesni: Transforming Work Into Joy
SESSION TWO: MOVEMENT
- Omar Ahmad, former mayor of San Carlos, CA: Political Change with Pen and Paper [*Pre-recorded TED talk]
- Arturo Rodriguez, United Farm Workers: Why We Need Unions More Than Ever
- Joann Lo, Food Chain Workers Alliance: Organizing the Workers in the Food Chain
- Derek Sivers, MuckWork*: How to Start a Movement [*Pre-recorded TED talk]
- Nikki Henderson, People’s Grocery: The Black Power and Farmworker Movements
- Tim Galarneau, Real Food Challenge: Empowering College Students to Control What They Eat
- Andrea Cristina Mercado, Mujeres Unidas: Domestic Workers Banding Together
- Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation: If You Eat, You’re Responsible [Pre-recorded specially for TEDxFruitvale]
- Performance: Zoë Ellis, Crystal Monee Hall, and Valerie Troutt: The Trouble I’ve Seen
SESSION THREE: MONEY
- Gerardo Reyes-Chavez, Coalition of Immokalee Workers: Making Corporations Pay
- Auret van Heerden, Fair Labor Association*: Making Global Labor Fair [*Pre-recorded TED talk]
- Heather Franzese, Fair Trade USA: Changing How You Think About Clothes
- Dalia Ceja and Amelia Ceja, Ceja Vineyards: Grape Picker to Wine Maker
- Barry Estabrook, author of Tomatoland: Following the Money in Lake Apopka, FL
- Sandy Brown and Adelfo Antonio, Swanton Berry Farm: Life on a Unionized Organic Farm
- Performance: Mi Tierra Linda Mariachi: Conference Finale
WHAT IS TEDX?
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxFruitvale, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxFruitvale event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.