The weekend began with a heartfelt welcoming from the CIW Women's Group. Coming off a summer full of action, el Grupo de Mujeres set the tone for what was to be a weekend full of energy, excitement, and strategy.

As we opened the meeting space, we took a moment to remember the indigenous roots of many farmworkers and allies and honor the history of Native people's resistance throughout the Americas.

A collection of personal mementos served as a reminder of the diversity, creativity, and collective skill of our movement.

This year we welcomed lots of new faces to the movement...

and saw the return of a number of more familiar visages. Here, former SFA staff members Meghan Cohorst and Melody Gonzalez pose with Tonalli, one of the newest additions to the SFA network!

On Friday, allies from the Real Food Challenge joined Encuentro participants for a CIW-led walking tour of the Immokalee community. The tour provided a glimpse into the daily lives of farmworkers and recalled the earliest days of the struggle for justice in the fields.

Later that day, participants chose from an array of skill-building workshops to hone their organizing abilities. From greenwashing and brandbusting...

SFA alum Marley Moynahan leads a social media workshop

...to messaging and social media, students investigated our target companies' strategies and formulated a plan to counter them.

The night before events at the Chipotle Cultivate Festival in Chicago, we skyped in with our compañeros in the Windy City to get the lowdown on everything they had planned.

Before delving into a day full of campaign strategy on Saturday, allies participated in a dinámica demonstrating the power of the supermarkets and the importance of their participation in the Fair Food Program.

Speaking of the Fair Food Program, Encuentro participants had the privilege of hearing from a member of the Fair Food Standards Council, who talked about the FFSC's role in ensuring companies' compliance with new standards in the fields.

On Saturday evening, we organized our own spirited action in nearby Naples.

Though the action was in solidarity with our friends in Chicago, we were determined not to let Publix off the hook. To that end, we began the evening with a delegation and picket in front of Florida's largest supermarket (and staunchest Fair Food resister).

Then we took to the streets, headed to nearby Chipotle. As we marched, the ánimo continued to mount...

...until it reached a boiling point and exploded across the intersection: little kids leading the big kids to the Chipotle sidewalk.

Once gathered, protestors unfurled a banner with a message for the self-proclaimed arbiters of "Food With Integrity."

During our delegation, Chipotle pulled a Publix and hired private security guards to bar us from entering the store. Rather than getting face time with a manager, we were handed a paper with the number for corporate PR. Undeterred, we left our letter with employees and asked them to pass it on to decision makers.

That night we returned to the CIW Centro for a bit of fun. After all, no Encuentro would be complete without Cafe Cultura -- a showcase of music, spoken word, and dance that has become a mainstay since it first debuted in 2008.

On Sunday morning, las mujeres de SFA - from Miami, San Diego, and Minneapolis - joined the women of Immokalee for their weekly radio show, "Las Voces." ¡Que vivan las mujeres luchadoras!

To close out the weekend, Encuentro participants shared individual commitments to bring the struggle home and ensure accountability within the network.

Going forward, we're ready to take on whatever resistance comes our way-- drawing strength from the partnership we've cultivated together with farmworkers. We look forward to the day when Chipotle, Publix, Kroger, and Ahold take responsibility for injustices in the fields and join us in building a better world!