“When you stand on the land, we are all equal.” – Rev. Richard Joyner
On September 30 and October 1, RAFI held its biennial Come to the Table Conference at The Impact Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The theme “Food, Land & Sacred Stories” was experienced throughout as speakers and participants contributed in various ways.
During her conference opening keynote, Dr. Gail Myers emphasized the stories of Black farmers and urged her listeners to remember their strength and resilience. The keynote was followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Myers, Rev. Richard Joyner (Founder, Conetoe Family Life Center), Joe Thompson (Farmer, Thompson Prawn Farm), and Gabrielle Buchannan (Agricultural Food Sourcing Specialist, Interfaith Food Shuttle). Facilitated by RAFI staff Jarred White, this engaging panel emphasized our collective relationship to the land.
Over 30 workshops were offered to attendees over two days, from “Shaping Stories that Challenge Corporate Power” to “Food Charity, Food Justice, Food Rights & Food Sovereignty.” Each workshop offered a variety of lessons and perspectives.
That evening, conference attendees gathered over dinner to hear from six storytellers. Facilitated by The Hearth’s Mark Yaconelli, each story was connected to food, land, and the sacred. This evening’s gathering emphasized the power of personal stories connecting one another to the land and those who have come before them.
On the last day of the conference, RAFI welcomed A-dae Romero Briones and Fred and Elsie DuBray to the stage for a meaningful conversation about the stories we hold onto, our oldest teachers, and what the buffalo can teach us about our humanity and connection to the land. Elsie shared about her pursuit of her Masters degree from Stanford and how her formal education cannot hold a candle to what her home and the buffalo have taught her. “My greatest and oldest teachers are that of my homeland,” Elsie explained. Her father, Fred, a lifelong Buffalo Rancher, left attendees with the lasting comment: “The stories are what keep it going: all sorts of things get lost, but our stories stay the same.”