Update from the Hampshire County Food Policy Council:
The HCFPC knows that stories shape the world we live in. We know that power rests with those whose stories are heard, recorded, and shared. We know that stories shape culture, and that culture shapes the systems that run our world. This includes the food system.
While the conventional food system does not serve most people, it is especially oppressive for marginalized communities, who are historically and systematically excluded from power and decision making. Therefore, the HCFPC endeavors to collectively build the power of marginalized community members to tell their own food stories, shifting cultural narratives toward the life-giving, community-led food system we envision.
PROJECT Through this project, we will create space for you to express your story in your own voice, exactly the way you want to be heard. We hope this will help people cultivate curiosity, build shared understanding and culture, and empower each other to realize our visions for change.
This project will establish the Hampshire County Community Food Story Archive, a digital repository of stories about food experiences and culture in Hampshire County, focused on elevating the voices of marginalized residents - especially those with lived experiences of food insecurity.
This program is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
