Two weeks ago, Wisconsin dairy farmer Joel Greeno, University of Minnesota student Anthony Pahnke and Maine vegetable farmer Bob St. Peter traveled to Immokalee, Florida, for a strategy session with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). Joel and Bob are members of Wisconsin-based Family Farm Defenders, which is developing a campaign against Land O’Lakes, targeting the company for lowering the price farmers get paid for milk — in violation of the cooperative principles upon which the coop is founded. WhyHunger, Family Farm Defenders and CIW are building inter-regional relationships between the family farmers and the farmworkers — working together on campaign strategy, growing allies and building solidarity for justice at all points of the food system.

CIW is currently targeting supermarket giant Publix, demanding that Publix sign onto the CIW Fair Food Agreement, as so many fast food companies and a growing number of food retailers have done. Joel, Anthony and Bob lent their support to a protest against a Publix store opening  in neighboring Naples while they were in the area.

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For more on the Publix campaign, check out our blog post about CIW’s great short film, “A Tale of Two Thanksgivings.”