Day Six of the Farmworkers March for Justice

Photos by: Matt Rosenberg

We were well fed by the wonderful people at Holy Family Parish before we took off from Little Falls. Our sixth day of marching was perhaps the best yet. We were blessed with the most gorgeous spring weather as we walked through some of the most beautiful farm country in the state.
We very well may have seen more head of cattle during the day than people, but we must be making an impression on the communities we do pass through—the march was the lead story on the front page of The Evening Telegram in Herkimer County!

We stopped for lunch at a little restaurant in St. Johnsville, some kind of strange mix between a diner, a fast-food joint and an ice cream parlor.
Because we had set such a mean pace in the morning, we had put ourselves ahead of schedule and so, after eating, we stretched out in their back lawn and took cat naps in the sun while we digested. Even though we marched 18 miles, the day felt almost leisurely. As our bodies begin to adjust to physical strain and the towns are spaced further and further apart, we are left with only the scenery, the company of the other marchers, and our own thoughts. It many ways, it is an experience that brings us back to basics, that grounds us in the values most important to us. Already, many of us are feeling that it will be a difficult transition back to our normal lives and demanding schedules.

Entering Canajoharie, we were given a hero’s welcome by the members of St. John’s / St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.
After a lovely meal, we gathered together while Velma and Librada shared their histories as farmworkers and the experiences that have brought them to this struggle. We were treated once again by the musical talent among us as Aspacio led the group in song with his guitar. As we bed down for the night, he continues with his beautiful singing and playing, a lullaby to close this perfectly delightful day. We can only hope for the same as we head off to Amsterdam tomorrow.