The Harsh Reality
Take a drive in any direction of Alachua County, and it may be a shock.
Out in Alachua's blueberry fields, Plant City's strawberry patches or the Immokalee tomato fields, hundreds of migrant workers, men and women, struggle each day to provide food and a future for themselves and their children.
"It's always a good time to see what's behind the curtain on how food gets to our tables," said Ryan Murphy, director of the Harvest of Hope Fest.
The three-day festival is a fundraiser for the Harvest of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Gainesville that provides financial aid to migrant workers and their families throughout the country.
During his UF graduate program, Murphy spent two years with the foundation. Through a program called Libros de Familia, Murphy met with migrant workers and helped them with their English-speaking skills.
The grassroots music festival will feature four stages, turning out local and national rock bands such as Against Me!, The National, Bad Brains and Girl Talk.
The St. Johns County Fairgrounds' 38-acre grassy pasture will be flooded with local vendors, artisans and people who just want to contribute.
"People just started donating what they can to cut our costs," Murphy said. "Local growers are providing catering, some are donating amps for the stages and others are screening T-shirts for festival volunteers."
And with a carbon-neutral program, solar generators and reasonably priced tickets, Murphy said, the festival is as forward thinking as they come.
Gouge-Free Zone
On one Saturday afternoon, Ed Kellerman, a UF lecturer and communications director of the foundation, strapped a candy-apple red motorcycle helmet to his head and sped over to United Church of Gainesville to meet his brother, Phil, at the Holistic Health Fair.
Under the front overhang, Phil sat by a pullout table stacked with shiny metallic one-pound Sweetwater Coffee bags - a weekly sales endeavor to make a few extra dollars for the foundation with the help of the local Gainesville growers.
The Kellermans emphasized the importance of buying local products for the festival and especially at home.
"My wife goes to the farmers market each week," said Phil, president of the foundation. "If you don't care for your community, don't blame me when it all dries up."
Ed said the festival, which boasts more than 140 bands, will allow musicians to get more exposure, publicity to get more business and prices to be reasonable for concert-goers.
At $19.50 for a single-day pass and $39.50 for the three-day weekend, he said they're not duping anyone.
They call it the "gouge-free zone."
Primitive camping passes for three-day patrons are only an extra $29.50 for four people. Ticket sales increase $10 on the weekend of the event.
Prices are low because hundreds volunteered to work at the festival, and dozens of local organic vendors will donate food for the bands.
Many vendors don't have big budgets for advertising or the ability to reach out beyond their stores.
"Since we're a grassroots organization, we can use help wherever we find it," Ed said. "It's a win-win for all of us."
And through a UF course in nonprofit leadership and management, about 10 students will assist Ed at the festival to fulfill their public service requirements.
Gainesville's No Idea Records, the same people behind The Fest last fall, began gathering bands in November and headed a massive promotional campaign for the benefit with Southern Lovin' PR and Mutiny PR.
After the foundation received a $50,000 grant from the St. Johns Tourist Development Council to promote and market the festival,
Murphy signed a three-year contract with the fairgrounds. If all goes well, the organization may see a few years of stable funds for migrant families.
"Migrant farmers work extremely hard for our well-being," Murphy said. "It's the least we can do."
For more details about tickets, bands and camping for the Harvest of Hope Fest, please visit: http://www.harvestofhopefest.com.
