It was my true pleasure to collaborate with Amanda Bury and make a concurrent exhibition come to fruition at the 2022 NCECA Fertile Ground in Sacramento CA. When the theme was announced Amanda reached out, how could be not?  he agricultural industry touches the lives of all humans. Agriculture in California represents one of the largest farming economies in the US. Over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California. Agriculture has many aspects to be celebrated and hard truths we can’t ignore. Food production has historically been the driving force for enslaving peoples and remains a contemporary framework for human exploitation. Industrial agriculture is the biggest contributor to the climate crisis. The western colonial “settling” of land has led to the removal and genocide of indigenous peoples along with their cultures and practices. Processed foods have caused unprecedented health problems including diabetes and heart disease. Policies and other socioeconomic struggles have led to the prevalence of inner city food disparities.

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The far reaching effects of Californian agricultural realities, trends, aspirations, and policies can not be denied. In spite of this capitalist global reality, food remains central to human connection, enriching our daily lives and sustaining familial and cultural ritual through consumption. We believe in the collective ability to reshape our food and farming systems. We look to the creative process as a way to construct new realities, to form bonds, communicate and plan. We know art can unearth the truth and illuminate the shadows. Artists connect deeply with people, inspiring societal change. Art records and preserves human history, tells stories and passes on traditions. Artists serve as messengers of hope and ambassadors for the natural world. We challenged these artists to make works for exhibit in response to connections with Northern California based agricultural organizations.