A Filipino Studies Professor-Now-Farmer Opens Barn Doors for Fall Harvest
Reimagining Filipinos’ Relationship with the land for Filipino American History Month
Gathering at Remagination Farm (photo courtesy of Remagination Farm)
Produce from Remagination Farm (photo courtesy of Remagination Farm)
Unceded Eastern Pomo and Lake Miwok Territory/Lake County, CA - August 14, 2024 – Remagination Farm announces their first annual Fall Anihan (Ah-nee-hahn; Tagalog word for harvest) celebration. The ticketed event will take place on Saturday, September 7, 2024, from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and will feature musical performances, a sari sari store, and a variety of activities, including the opportunity for attendees to pick from and take home the farm’s produce grown from seed.
The California State Legislature recently adopted a resolution officially marking October as Filipino American History Month (FAHM) for the state. The Anihan festival serves as an early kick-off of Filipino American History Month (FAHM). The event also aims to foster a sense of community and connection with the earth, while its chosen date is an intentional nod towards Filipino American and agricultural workers history.
“September 8, 1965 marks the day when Filipino agricultural workers, led by labor leader Larry Itliong, walked off the job to protest years of poor wages and working conditions in the Central Valley’s grape fields. Their strike ultimately led to solidarity between grape workers of all backgrounds as Larry Itliong was joined by his Latino counterpart Cesar Chavez to form the United Farm Workers (UFW). Our Anihan Festival marks 59 years since that historical moment and marks a new era in Filipino American history where we gather together in community not as workers fighting against exploitation by industrial agriculturalists who also extract heavily from the land, but as stewards celebrating our restored relationship to Mother Nature and committed to restoring the soil that has been destroyed by our ancestors’ exploiters.” — Dr. Robyn Rodriguez, author, speaker, scholar, community organizer, and founder of the Remagination Farm.
Filipino workers planting asparagus in Stockton in the 1930s. Photo courtesy of Virginia Supnet Hill via San Jose Public Library
Remagination Farm was founded in 2023 under the care and stewardship of Dr. Robyn Rodriguez, a former professor of Filipino studies turned farmer, and her husband; second-generation Hmong refugee and nature expert Joshua Vang.
All events at the farm serve as fundraisers for the Amado Khaya Initiative (AKI), with a portion of ticket sales and any AKI merchandise sales going towards supporting the initiative. Donations to AKI are tax-deductible as well as help keep the doors of Remagination Farm open.
Sari sari storei (photo courtesy of Remagination Farm)
Tickets are $165 per vehicle (up to four people), with $35 per additional guest in each group, and can be purchased at tinyurl.com/fallanihan. Ticket-holders enjoy the opportunity to pick their own fruit, veggies and flowers, a day of performances, a farm-to-table workshop, food tastings, children’s activities, exclusive access to items from artists, makers and others from a sari sari store and more. For those interested in volunteering or bartering/trading in exchange for a ticket, please contact Anna at anna@remaginationlab.org by August 26 to make arrangements.
For more information, visit Remagination Farm’s website www.remaginationfarm.org.
Fall Anihan Celebration at Remagination Farm:
Saturday, September 7, 2024
11:00 AM to 10:00 PM PST
Tickets: tinyurl.com/fallanihan
Performers:
Astralogik
DJ Xanh Tran
Doble Bara
Amihan and Malaya
Sari Sari Store Vendors:
Kristian Kabuay
Marielle Atanacio (by m atanacio)
studio damili
MT Vallarta, PhD
Caralie Wegeng (Craftibabii)
Native Sol
Liza Bustillo (Original Goddess)
Workshops:
Cyanotype workshop with Jamie Cardenas of Magpie Alchemy
Cooking workshop with Roline of Roline's Uniquely Filipino, using produce from the farm
Youth-centered activities with Alexis Tence
Remagination Farm produce available, grown from seed (including second generation):
Squash varieties: zucchini, acorn, and pumpkin
Mild to hot varieties of peppers
Basil and sage varieties
Corn varieties
Okra and eggplant varieties
Radishes and beets varieties
Tomato varieties
Kale
Lemon cucumbers
Watermelon and cantaloupe varieties
Sunflowers, marigolds, calendula, and other flower varieties
Ampalaya/bitter melon
Upo/bottle gourd
Remagination Farm baked goods and other items using farm-raised produce for tasting:
Ube zucchini bread
Chai spice zucchini bread
Pandan zucchini bread
Cantaloupe “ice candy”
Pickled cucumber…and more
Farm animals to see:
Goats and chickens
Upcoming events with the Remagination Farm and Dr. Robyn Rodriguez:
AAPI Women Lead Conf (Oakland) - 9/21
Lamon Fest (SF) - 10/6
4th Annual MagKaisa Filipino American History Month Celebration, Elk Grove, CA - 10/11
FilAm Book Festival (SF) - Oct 12-13
Sawaga River Press Book Launch of Mungan and Lola at Remagination Farm - 11/9
(Details TBA)
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About the Remagination Farm — Principles of sustainability and regeneration inspire the Remagination Farm, founded by Dr. Robyn Rodriguez and her husband, second-generation Hmong refugee and nature expert Joshua Vang. The farm intends to implement intergenerational farming techniques that draw on the owners’ Hmong and Philippine ancestry, along with local Native American indigenous land knowledge. The Remagination Farm, spanning 8 acres of land, is located in Lake County and will be the site for in-person learning opportunities offered by the School for Liberating Education, a service of the Remagination Lab.
About Dr. Robyn Magalit Rodriguez — Dr. Robyn Magalit Rodriguez is a professor emeritus of Asian American Studies at UC Davis. Not only is she a widely published researcher and a highly sought after speaker, she is a long-time community organizer. The loss of her 22-year old son Amado Khaya while he was working to serve indigenous communities in the Philippines, prompted Dr. Rodriguez to make the bold choice of realigning her life’s work of nearly 2 decades and liberating it from the confines of academia through the services she offers in the Remagination Lab. Moreover, she and her husband decided to carry on Amado Khaya’s commitment to indigenous rights and climate justice by taking on the role as land stewards, along with their younger son, at Remagination Farm.