NRIs Cook for Farmers’ Cause

i4Farmers or Individuals for farmers, a 501C3 organization registered in the US, with a mission to create awareness about the situation of farmers and bring individuals together, organized its 3rd annual Cook-For-A-Cause event.

The event is a cooking competition to celebrate the diversity of food and the varied cooking styles and in the process create awareness through interactive conversations throughout the event. The event was held on a Saturday afternoon in an open setting at Merill Park, Iselin, NJ. It was held amidst the lush green tall trees giving plenty of shade and some pleasant breeze on what was otherwise a hot day. 

The venue was enhanced with 

1) Statistics that showed why India despite being the powerhouse of agriculture still had the highest farmer suicides

2) Pictures of farmer suicide victims bringing out the human faces of the tragedy 

3) General information to help the audience understand the crisis at a high level and

4) Last but not the least, information about how individuals can come together and contribute in a meaningful way

The event also included an interactive session giving the audience a deeper insight which was then followed by the cooking competition that had around 20 registrations across 3 categories – appetizers, main course and desserts. The winners in each category were awarded millets, which were specially shipped from kadapa, one of the i4Farmers project locations and a special plant for each of the winners sponsored by another volunteer who also happens to be a professional home gardener. These plants were part of a plant exhibit that was put together in an effort to understand plants and the important role of how nature nurtures them and how food is a byproduct of this relationship. 

The event ended on a high note with a street play performed by a local theatre group who specializes in plays on social issues. The 3 member team put together the 15 minute play to remind us how the farmer, the entrepreneur and the biggest risk taker is being let down by everyone from the government to the banks to the individuals like us and why there is a dire need for us to contribute to support our farmers. 

i4Farmers thanks the audience and the entire team of volunteers who made this event possible and requests everyone to spare a thought about the farmers, for our collective actions can help forge a stronger bond with the farming community. If any question or comments please write to us – [email protected] or visit us at www.i4Farmers.org to learn more.

i4Farmers team