Sukhmony Brar
What is your preferred first name (full name or nickname)?
Sukhmony (SUKH-muh-nee), but you can also call me Sukh!
Where did you grow up?
Bakersfield, CA
Where did you attend undergrad and what was your major?
I attended UC Berkeley where I studied Biology and English Literature
How did you become interested in food systems?
Although I grew up spending weekends at my grandparents’ raisin farm in Delano, CA, I first began to think critically about the food system while studying at UC Berkeley. During my sophomore year, I started volunteering at a student-run, nonprofit grocery store called the Berkeley Student Food Collective. It was in this space that I formed some of my deepest relationships while in college and learned about cooperative models of business, food sovereignty, community organizing, and the practical elements of operating a community-facing grocery store.
What does transforming the food system mean to you?
Transforming the food system means restoring our personal and collective relationships to the land we live on. I believe each of us can transform the food system by engaging in radical (re)education about the historical context of our current food system; participating in community-led efforts to divest from corporate, industrial food systems and invest in community-centric foodways; and practicing reciprocity, collective care, and indigenous and intergenerational ways of knowing to cultivate community resiliency in the midst of climate change.
What do you do in your free time?
I enjoy writing poetry, identifying plants, playing tennis, and sharing food with friends and family!
