Farmworkers and families on the picket line in NW Washington (Photo: James Leder)
Berry Boycott in Effect as of January
“Bellingham, WA – A local boycott committee led by WWU Students for Farmworker Justice has garnered several wins for Familias Unidas por la Justicia. Back in September the committee convinced the owner of a local grocery store, TERRA, to stop selling Driscoll’s label berries. Just over one year after authorization the boycott one of Sakuma Bros. most lucrative contracts, Driscoll’s, has come to feel the financial impact of the growing berry boycott.”
Learn more about this ongoing issue on the timeline page that shows the progress of the campaign: http://boycottsakumaberries.com/timeline/
There is a long history of abuses being committed against migrant and undocumented workers throughout Skagit and Whatcom counties, and across much of the State (and indeed the whole country). Stand in solidarity with these brave workers fighting to feed their families and feed us all! Join the berry boycott! Buy no berries from now until further notice.
I am wondering if Earthbound Farms treats workers more ethically.
Earthbound Farms is a major industrial-organic grower, and workers are commonly mistreated. This book provides more background information on the techniques used to isolate and oppress farmworkers in Salinas: http://www.akpress.org/life-during-wartime.html
More background on why Earthbound Farms and other mega-organic growers are harmful can be found on Michael Pollan’s website, here: http://michaelpollan.com/reviews/paradise-sold-what-are-you-buying-when-you-buy-organic/
Thank you so much for this prompt response. Very helpful!
This song started to be about my breakfast this morning, ended up being about the Driscoll boycott. It goes to the tune of Wabash Cannonball, or fit it to another tune you know.
Patriotic Meal
Chorus:
I got the world on a spoon and I’ve got nature in my lap
When blueberry and strawberry seasons overlap,
The taste is just like heaven but the color scheme’s the deal
Just add organic yogurt, got a patriotic meal.
I’m loyal to my country, to its forests and its lakes,
From the bighorn sheep and polar bears to the frogs and toads and snakes,
The toddlers in the playground, the workers in the field
Who pick the juicy berries in my patriotic meal.
So when the corporations spray pesticides around
They should know they’re treading on my sacred ground
I sing this song to tell them just the way I feel
I don’t want any poison in my patriotic meal.
I don’t want the CO2 that comes from shipping food,
Chilean berries do not fit my patriotic mood
Nor do I want your Driscolls, till you get that union seal
I want local union labor in my patriotic meal.