Archive for October, 2009
VICFA’s Kathryn Russell tragically died in a car accident on Thursday, October 22nd and this means that the local food movement has lost one of its greatest fighters. She was VICFA’s (Virginia Independent Consumers & Farmers) founder and advocate for local food, raw milk. A political activist, she was leading the fight to enable us to choose our food sources. She was a courageous woman, wife, mother, grandmother and wonderful person.
If first met Kathryn last year following the horrific mauling of another VICFA member, Deb Naylor of Dillwyn. Deb had been attacked and nearly killed by sows at her farm in May. I’d started a fund raising bank account and planned other events for Deb. Kathryn, in her usual take action way, was right there to help with getting the word out. She was so helpful and did so much to make it easier for me - I will never forget her kindness!
At the annual VICFA “Farm Food Voices Day” held outside Charlottesville, we finally met! I fell in love with her genuine kindness, enthusiasm, and was inspired by dedication to local food. She, along with her daughter Laura, had arranged for me to have not only one booth for selling tickets for a quilt raffle for Deb Naylor - but TWO!
Although I didn’t know her well, she impressed me with her total dedication to the local food movement and our right TO HAVE OUR CHOICE of where and who we buy our food from! Realizing, as many of us ‘food activists’ do, that the government isn’t always on our side, more often having been bought by the food industry for it’s own interests - she led her crusade tirelessly. From blogs to radio to TV and in the local press she was a wealth of information and inspiration.
I vow to carry on with my own work in her stead; to stand up for food rights and not back down - just like she did. I’ve launched a new site to continue to spread the word: Good Food For All.
Kathryn - we all will miss you. We thank you for being the voice and inspiring many to join the fight for better food, and a healthier planet for us all. We love you! My most sincere condolences to her family, friends, community in North Garden, VA and to all who knew her far better than I.