SAM Talks | From Soil to Stalls: Life on Farms & Markets

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation inspired by Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism. This exhibition showcases late 19th-century French Impressionist paintings that explore how local identity is tied to food, and how farms, markets, and meals were transformed in the wake of the Franco-Prussian War.

In this panel conversation, we’ll connect these historic themes to the realities of today’s food systems in Seattle. From strengthening local farmers markets to advancing farmworker rights, and from reducing food insecurity to building pathways to employment, our discussion will explore how these forces shape what’s on our tables.

The conversation will feature speakers from local associations and food justice organizations moderated by Tan Vinh, food & drink writer for The Seattle Times and host of the NPR/KUOW podcast, Seattle Eats. An award-winning journalist recognized nationally for restaurant criticism and excellence in food writing, Tan brings both expertise and curiosity to conversations about food culture.

Kelly Kube, Operations Manager for the Seattle Farmers Market Association, grew up in Seattle as a devoted farmers market shopper and now oversees four of the city’s neighborhood markets—Ballard, Madison Park, Madrona, and Wallingford. Since 2020, she has worked alongside Washington’s farmers, food producers, and artisans to keep local food culture thriving. For Kelly, a market day feels like a weekly family reunion, a space where food becomes inseparable from storytelling, connection, and community life.

Rosalinda Guillen, founder of Community to Community, is a nationally recognized grassroots organizer and strategist whose leadership is rooted in ecofeminist and non-hierarchical principles. Having grown up as a farmworker in La Conner, WA, she has dedicated her life to organizing farmworkers in Washington and California, amplifying their voices in legislative spaces, and advancing movements around labor rights, climate justice, immigration, and food sovereignty. Her work bridges local struggles with global solidarity, building towards a more just and sustainable food system.

Meg Viera is the Senior Vice President of Social Enterprise at FareStart, a James Beard Award-winning nonprofit that disrupts poverty and nourishes communities through food and job training. She leads the organization’s businesses and food security programs, overseeing a restaurant, café, catering services, and large-scale contract meal program, all of which provide real-world classrooms for FareStart students. Under her leadership, FareStart has generated critical revenue to fuel the organization’s mission, increased access to nutritious meals for food-insecure communities, and provided training opportunities for individuals overcoming barriers to employment.

Program
6 pm Auditorium doors open. Tabling by partner organizations.
6:30 pm Program begins
7:15 pm Q&A
7:30 pm Program concludes. Tabling by partner organizations continues in South Hall.
8 pm Museum closes

This program is the second of three SAM Talks related to Farm to Table. Be sure to join the final talk of this series.

Dec 11
SAM Talks | We Are Where We Eat: Seattle's Food Culture
Featuring J. Kenji Lopez-Alt and Daisley C. Gordon moderated by Ruby de Luna

Tickets
Free with admission. RSVP required.
You can RSVP during the admission ticket checkout process.
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