On the evening of Friday, September 26, Food Tank will host \u201cA Night Honoring Our Farmers: Food and Agriculture Storytelling\u201d during Climate Week NYC, in partnership with Niman Ranch and the Broadway Green Alliance. The invitation-only event will feature 10 extraordinary farmers sharing experiences of land, legacy, hope, and resilience through theater-inspired storytelling and unscripted narratives.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a theater-maker, I\u2019m sold on the power of storytelling, but to be hearing from voices we never hear from\u2014farmers doing vital work to ensure we\u2019ll be able to feed our grandchildren\u2014well, that’s going to make for storytelling flavored with a special sauce of compelling importance and captivating entertainment,\u201d says Anika Larsen, Tony Award Nominee and Broadway Green Alliance Board Member. \u201cAnd at the Broadway Green Alliance, we know that when stories like these are lifted up, they don\u2019t just entertain\u2014they inspire action for a more sustainable future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ron Mardesen, a third-generation hog farmer from Elliott, Iowa, who has raised pigs for specialty meat company Niman Ranch for over 20 years, emphasizes the weight of each farmer\u2019s story\u2014and why it\u2019s important to listen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen a farmer shares a story, their story is wrapped in life. The listener feels the struggles of the farmer. The listener hears the emotion in the farmer\u2019s voice. And ultimately, the listener sees the vision that has moved the farmer to where they are right now,\u201d says Mardesen. \u201cWhen a farmer shares a story, their story, they are exposing a part of themselves that most of us are uncomfortable to do. It\u2019s hard to bear it all. We\u2019ve all had successes, and we\u2019ve all had failures. But the bottom line is we\u2019ve all learned from our experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n
The audience will hear from a diverse group of farmers about why they farm, how they farm, and the impact their work has on their communities and the planet. But above all, Mardesen says, these stories are threaded with one powerful theme: hope. Hope for the land, future generations, and a food system rooted in care.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are making a difference. We can help solve the problem. We are leaving this land better than we found it,\u201d says Mardesen.<\/p>\n
The event will kick off at the Greene Space at WNYC-NPR Studios at 7pm with food, drink, and live musical performances. The program will run from 7:30pm to 9:30pm, with a reception until 10pm.<\/p>\n
Academy Award Nominee Stephanie Hsu<\/strong> will serve as Celebrity Guest Emcee at the event. Known for her acclaimed performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once<\/em>, Hsu has also earned recognition for her Emmy-nominated role in\u00a0The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel<\/em>\u00a0and standout performances on Broadway in\u00a0Be More Chill<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical<\/em>.<\/p>\n Confirmed farmer voices include:\u00a0Karen Washington<\/strong>, a farmer, activist, and co-founder of Black Urban Growers, working to uplift food justice and community farming in the Bronx and beyond;\u00a0Patrick Holden<\/strong>, farmer and founding director of the Sustainable Food Trust;\u00a0Bob Quinn<\/strong>, organic farmer and plant geneticist from Montana, who revived ancient grains and promotes sustainable agriculture;\u00a0Ron Mardesen<\/strong>, a third-generation hog farmer from Elliott, Iowa, who has raised pigs for Niman Ranch for over 20 years using humane and sustainable practices;\u00a0Sabrina Servais<\/strong>, a passionate young dairy farmer and Assistant Herd Manager at her family\u2019s Organic Valley member farm in Wisconsin;\u00a0Sea Matias<\/strong>, a regenerative farmer and community organizer growing culturally relevant crops and advancing food sovereignty through mutual aid;\u00a0Brian Mattingly<\/strong>, Director of Star Hill Farm Operations for Maker\u2019s Mark, who manages 1,100 acres of regenerative farmland in Kentucky, integrating crops and livestock for resilient agriculture;\u00a0Olivia Fuller<\/strong>, a fourth-generation farmer at Fuller Acres in upstate New York, raising pastured livestock and maple products on protected land to build a resilient and diversified future;\u00a0William Dennehy<\/strong>, a dairy farmer from County Kerry, Ireland, managing 85 acres of heavy pastureland and over 85 cows with a focus on improving soil health and efficient grazing;\u00a0Azeem Zakir Kareem<\/strong>, who partners with his wife in running Samad Gardens Initiative, leading efforts in regenerative herbal and vegetable farming, education, and advocacy for farmers;\u00a0Caroline Radice<\/strong>, co-owner of Black Dog Farm & Catering in Northern California and co-founder of the Good Farm Fund, supporting small farmers with microgrants and EBT access; and\u00a0April Wilson<\/strong>, a third-generation hog and chicken farmer who continues her family\u2019s ranching legacy at Seven W Farm, established by her grandfather in 1959.<\/p>\n \u201cA Night Honoring Our Farmers\u201d will feature a special musical performance by\u00a0Joey Contreras<\/strong>, award-winning songwriter of the viral musical\u00a0In Pieces<\/em>. He will be joined by guitarist\u00a0Nick Potocki<\/strong>\u00a0(Dead Outlaw<\/em>)\u00a0and\u00a0Hannah Verdi<\/strong>, who is featured on the\u00a0In Pieces: Highlights Deluxe<\/em>\u00a0album released by Broadway Records.<\/p>\n This summit will be streamed live on\u00a0FoodTank.com<\/a>\u00a0and Food Tank\u2019s YouTube Channel,\u00a0here<\/a>. Join the Food Tank\u00a0newsletter list<\/a>\u00a0for reminders, and click\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0for Food Tank\u2019s full lineup of events at Climate Week NYC 2025.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “We are making a difference. We can help solve the problem. We are leaving this land better than we found it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5956,"featured_media":56426,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[270,258,888,283,327,261,316,275,279,6689],"tags":[5220,12218,10423,7488,2830,12294,12296,12292,12305,2707,10283,2769,12295,12293,1599],"class_list":["post-56412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture","category-climate-change","category-events","category-family-farming","category-farmers","category-food-heroes","category-food-tank-summit","category-small-scale-farming","category-sustainable-agriculture","category-women-farmers","tag-black-urban-growers","tag-broadway-green-alliance","tag-climate-week","tag-climate-week-nyc","tag-family-farmers","tag-fuller-acres","tag-good-farm-fund","tag-makers-mark","tag-nick-potocki","tag-niman-ranch","tag-nyc-climate-week","tag-organic-valley","tag-samad-gardens-initiative","tag-star-hill-farm","tag-sustainable-food-trust"],"yoast_head":"\n