Topic: Activism

As farmers and ranchers across the country are feeling the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA is preparing to distribute $16 billion in direct aid to producers who have experienced financial losses. Applications for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) will be open in early May, but the program as currently designed may leave out thousands of farmers. These are unprecedented times – now is the time to urge USDA to fix problems with the program so aid can get to all who need it. USDA’s plan isn’t set up to account for farmers who sell into local/regional markets, diversified farmers, or organic farmers, it doesn’t have a thorough outreach plan or reserved funding for underserved producers (including farmers of color), it doesn’t reflect realistic timelines for farmers’ losses or their increased expenses in addition to their losses, and it isn’t set up to focus aid on independent, family-scale producers who need help (instead of large corporate operations). USDA has not yet released full details on their program – so now is the time to ask questions and speak up to ensure the program works for all farmers in need of aid. Allies can be effective by advocating for the […]

Twenty five governors have joined the U.S. Climate Alliance. This coalition is taking on-the-ground actions to implement policies that advance the goals of the Paris Agreement, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025. If your state is in the list below, your governor has already taken the important step of joining the Alliance. Make sure to thank them! But there’s also more work to be done. Climate Alliance states are working to identify best practices to reduce GHG emissions and increase resilient carbon sequestration. Call the Governor of your state and ask them to embrace the potential of regenerative farming practices like cover cropping, investing in perennials, and reduced tillage. Whether or not they are already a member of the USCA, they need to hear that you think food and farming can be a big part of the climate solution! Current USCA Member States: CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, IL, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OR, PA, PR, RI, VT, VA, WA, WI. Find your Governor’s contact information here.

Deadline January 13th Want to ensure a more sustainable food and farm future? Take action and help us encourage USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to prioritize what’s best for farmers and natural resources! NRCS is currently accepting public comments (input from farmers and concerned citizens like you!) on the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) interim final rule through January 13, 2020. CSP was established by Congress to reward farmers who implement advanced conservation systems that comprise truly sustainable agriculture. Unfortunately, the recent interim final rule undermines this purpose of CSP. Now it’s up to us “ag-vocates” to make sure that this vital conservation program is not weakened during the farm bill implementation process. Learn more and submit a comment here. and Support Justice for Farmworkers The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019, HR 5038, passed in the House of Representatives in December and now awaits a vote in the Senate. The bill overhauls the current H2A guestworker program and would make 40,000 new green cards available to full-time agricultural workers. “Achieving compromise on complex, polarizing labor-management and immigration issues was possible because of the wide recognition that farmworkers are essential to our nation’s food and agriculture systems,” said Bruce Goldstein, President […]

A gritty but incredibly important process called ‘appropriations’ is currently being hammered out between the House and Senate agriculture committees. Encourage your representatives to fully fund programs that support sustainable agriculture! Read on to find out how you can spend five minutes making your voice heard. What’s going on with agricultural appropriations? At the beginning of summer, the House passed an agriculture spending bill with lots of wins in it for sustainable agriculture. The Senate passed their ag spending bill last week, which doesn’t support as many of our priorities. Now, the two bills are being combined into one through a process called Conference. This is a great time to weigh in to make sure that the wins from the House version end up in the final bill! Priorities: Along with our partners at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, we are asking for support for: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program – $45 million Food Safety Outreach Program – $10 million Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach Program – $10 million Local Agriculture Market Program – $20.4 million FSA Direct and Guaranteed Loans – Level Funding Conservation Technical Assistance – $741.36 million Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network – $10 million […]

Nine years have passed since the USDA Farm to School Grant Program was successfully launched in 2010, and school food service providers still find it tough to access locally grown foods. Despite increased connectivity to farmers, logistical and cost hurdles still keep many schools from sourcing local.  With all the abundance of summer harvests, many growers would love to grow for schools. Caitlin Frame, who co-owns the Milkhouse in Monmouth, ME, has had success. “I find that to be the most exciting thing that we’re doing right now – trying to get our yogurt into school systems.” But it hasn’t come without challenges. It is kind of hard to track down the right people at these schools,” Caitlin says. For farmers who face other structural barriers, selling to schools is even more complicated. It is time to prioritize beginning, veteran, and socially disadvantaged farmers in farm to school initiatives. Now is our chance! Congress is beginning to draft the next Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization (CNR), and they need to hear from you! This is our opportunity to make it easier for schools to source local food and provide funding for innovative projects like school gardens and seasonal vegetable taste-testing that […]