We hope this new year is off to a great start, and that you are finding time for rest and reflection. On this day, we join in the celebration of the life, work & legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who not only fought for Black Americans, but also for all of the nation's working class. Check out his 1968 speech All Labor Has Dignity, in which he says that "whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth." While this speech was delivered to striking sanitation workers, Dr. King is speaking of all those in public service, including farmers and farmworkers. Let this serve as a reminder on the toughest days and in the harshest seasons, that your work is critical and worthy of respect & a fair wage.

We appreciate your commitment to serving the public through agriculture, and in turn, we commit to the work of ensuring dignity for all farm laborers, especially BIPOC folks, through resource-sharing, technical assistance, and advocacy. In the coming weeks, please look out for SEMAP's official racial equity statement, which we have been working towards in recent months. If you'd like to provide suggestions on how we can better serve you and uplift the dignity of all food producers, please respond to this email.

In this email you'll find information on: