Today on April 17th, we mark the International Day of Peasant Struggles, an annual action day that brings rural communities together to commemorate the Eldorado do Carajás massacre in 1996 and to honor the resistance of agrarian workers worldwide who persist in their struggle for social justice and dignity. Central to this struggle is the right to food sovereignty, and the rights of people and communities as articulated in the 2018 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas: “Peasants and other people living in rural areas have ..read more

The Palestinian Land Day Sapling Planting and Rally in Montpelier on Saturday, March 30th was one of several events hosted across Vermont to oppose Israel's genocidal war in Gaza, and to stand with Palestinians in their struggle for liberation. Graham Unangst-Rufenacht, Rural Vermont’s Policy Director, along with several others, was asked to speak to the connections between food sovereignty, human rights, and democracy. My name is Graham Unangst-Rufenacht, I am the Policy Director at Rural VT - a nearly 40 year old member based organization working for food justice and food sovereignty through ..read more

At the Ceasefire Rally and press conference at the statehouse held on Tuesday, February 27th, Graham Unangst-Rufenacht, Rural Vermont’s Policy Director, along with several other organizations and individuals, was asked to speak about food sovereignty and its inherent connection to human rights and democracy. The ceasefire rally and press conference, organized by the Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation, capped an effort urging the Vermont General Assembly to sign onto a ceasefire letter, pressuring the Biden administration to demand, and commit to, a ceasefire in Gaza. You can read Gra ..read more

On Saturday, January 27th, hundreds of Vermonters gathered in Montpelier for the Vermonters Together - Building a Better Future March & Rally to call for Legislators and the Governor to create a more equitable, peaceful and healthy economy in balance with our planet. Business and politics as usual have left the state scrambling in the face of extreme weather and geopolitical events during 2023. The result? An affordable housing crisis, social unrest, overwhelmed food shelves, low-income families spending over 5 times more of their monthly income on energy bills than higher-income families ..read more

Mollie Wills and Jordan Treakle In early December 2023, as part of the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC), Mollie Wills of Rural Vermont took part in the 8th International Conference of La Via Campesina (LVC), in Bogota, Colombia, joining 185 member other organizations from 83 countries. La Via Campesina, often referred to as the world’s largest social movement representing over 200 million farmers, peasant, fisherfolk, pastoralists, and other food providers, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022, and continues to be the preeminent political organization for rural communities globally. Mo ..read more

In the last week of October 2023, the National Association of Small Farmers of Cuba (ANAP) hosted their renowned Farmer-to-Farmer methodology workshop at the Niceto Pérez National Farmer Training School in the province of Artemisa, Cuba. There were 31 participants in the program from across Central America, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, and the United States, including Rural Vermont Director of Grassroots Organizing Mollie Wills and three other Vermonters.  In response to severe political and economic crises following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Cuba has become a ..read more

We live, farm and work on the ancient, unceded land of the Abenaki Nation (N’dakinna). Today and every day we pay our humble respects as we honor the Abenaki peoples (Alnobak), their ancestors, current generations (elders, leaders, & families) and future generations. We pledge our hearts as co-stewards of this land with them to protect and nurture this land with our lives and future generations, together. Wliwni. Local Indigenous-led Organizations and Initiatives Abenaki Alliance Abenaki Land Link Project Atowi Project Vermont Indigenous Heritage Center Abenaki Arts and Education Center V ..read more

Last month I had the privilege to represent Rural Vermont at the National Family Farms Coalition (NFFC) annual gathering in Des Moines, Iowa. To be honest, without knowing much about NFFC prior to a month ago, I was more excited about going on a trip to a new place than about what might be in store for me at the gathering. But that changed very quickly over the ensuing three days as I met with, and learned from, some of the most passionate and engaged agricultural activists from around the country. Being a part of the Rural Vermont family in some form for two and a half years has allowed me to ..read more

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We celebrate youth climate activists who succeeded with their claims for a Right to a Healthy Environment last week at a District Court in Montana. The court decided that their rights are impaired by the state government's continuous promotion of fossil fuel industries. The ruling is now more forcefully demanding policy makers action on climate change.  At least twenty-two states have some kind of environmental protection clause in their constitution, that’s Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan,  Minnesota, Missouri, Mont ..read more