Print Friendly
Wow, these past couple of weeks have been a whirl wind.
I had the incredible opportunity to visit Washington DC and talk with “the people who make the rules of America” (as I have explained it to my kids).
The National Young Farmers Coalition asked me to join a Fly-In to Washington to discuss 3 amendments to the farm bill that would provide crucial support to young and beginning farmers.
The whole experience was phenomenal. I flew into Washington DC early Wednesday morning and experienced the Metro for the first time. I may have taken the wrong train on my first attempt – those of you who know me well won’t be surprised that the first thing I did in DC was get lost. Ha.
Luckily I had plenty of time and eventually got turned around and made it to the hotel with time to spare. Wednesday afternoon was set aside for a training session with my fellow farmer advocates from across the country. The training session began with introductions and I was both humbled and inspired by the amazing work each of these farmers and aspiring farmers are doing in and for their communities.
Patrick serves as the principle of Chattahoochee Hills Charter School, a K-8 ag school in Georgia. https://www.chatthillscharter.org/
De’Andress both farms and runs a non-profit called New Cahokia Commons Urban Farm which provides it community with fresh foods and also “helps BIPOC individuals address trauma through entrepreneurial enterprises nurtured through real access to land” https://www.newcahokiacommons.farm/home
Zoe is involved with the Minnesota Land Stewardship Project, Pesticide Action Network, Rootsprings Retreat Center whose mission is to “To foster healing, learning, and connection for individuals, community and Earth centering BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists, activists, and healers.” https://rootspringsmn.org/who-we-are/
Monika is an urban farming, growing for mutual aid and community fridges in Des Moines
And the list goes on and on…..Ana, Alberto, Jeremy, and more….. all doing phenomenal things within their communities.
To sum it up, I was in a room chock full of outstanding individuals who were both farming and serving their communities and also setting aside time to advocate for their fellow farmers. I was truly humbled.
During the training, we learned who each of us would be meeting with the following day as well as how to tell our stories of farming, land access and conservation in a concise yet compelling way. It can be challenging to whittle down a life story into concise digestible chunks and so this opportunity to work through our stories with other farmers and Young Farmer staff was invaluable.
The next day began with chilly photos on the steps of the iconic capital building. I had packed for 50’s & 60’s but the temps were more like mid to upper 30’s. You win some, you lose some ;)
Following photos, Monika from Sweet Tooth Farm in Des Moines and I were tasked with meeting with the offices of Zach Nunn, Charles Grassley, Joni Ernst, & Randy Feenstra. We would also be attending the meeting of the Senate Ag Committee. Our mission: garner support for LASO the Land Access Securities & Opportunities Act.
Despite the training the day before, I truly didn’t know what to expect at our first meeting of the day. Until we reached each office, we didn’t know if we would be meeting with the representatives and senators themselves or if we would meet with staffers that served them. We were told there are pros to both scenarios. I learned that staffers are typically assigned to one or two areas of policy and are expected to be experts in their fields. Each lawmaker has several staffers. It is the staffers’ job to sift through alllll of the information coming in from their area of expertise and take recommendations back to their bosses (i.e. the Rep or Senator that they work for).
I want to take a moment here to say that I had never put a lot of thought into the role of staffers. In fact, prior to this trip, I had only the most basic understanding of how the legislative process truly worked. Before the meetings I was a little disappointed that we might ‘only’ be meeting with staffers but now I have a great appreciation for the roles of the staffers and I am honored they took the time to hear our concerns and to consider the bills we are asking them to support.
Our first meeting was with Zach Nunn’s office. Rep Nunn is already a co-sponsor of the LASO act but legislators can change their mind at any time and so our job was to thank him and his staff for their support and reiterate just how important it is to continue to support and champion the bill.
The next 3 meetings were all about asking our legislators to add their support to the LASO bill. We were kindly received in each office and felt like we were able to provide valuable perspective on both land access and other issues facing farmers in Iowa like the need for more meat processing facilities and all of the unseen things needed to support those facilities like adequately trained inspectors. Other things that came up in conversation included the LFPA or Local Food Procurement Act, the Choose Iowa program, the need for more formalized farmer to farmer learning opportunities and the capacity for small farms to implement conservation practices and how the government can be supportive of our efforts.
Did we make an impact? I think we did. Young Farmers staff was upfront with us that there is no easy way to measure the response. Support can wax and wane as the farm bill progresses through the legislative process. A Rep that supports LASO or any other bill now might drop their sponsorship later in the game. Or someone may sign on late in the game after marinating on our stories. While LASO and the other bills include an allotment of money to fund programs, I learned that even a mention or acknowledgement of each bill in the final Farm Bill would be a win. A mention is the ‘foot in the door’ that can lead to stronger support and hopefully funding during the next farm bill.
I know I was certainly impacted. I understand government and the legislative process in a way now that I did not before. I am honored to have been involved in the legislative process. And most of all, I am encouraged both by organizations like Young Farmers and by the incredible farmers who are working everyday to create opportunity for farmers and those who wish to farm, to protect our environment, and to strengthen our food system.
Ok, cool but what is LASO? And why do I care?
LASO or the Land Access Security & Opportunities act addresses what is arguably the number one problem facing farmers and aspiring farmers today. Accessibility and affordability of land. If you can’t buy or rent land, you can’t grow crops or raise livestock and so all other problems are mute until you find land.
As Nathan and I found out when we were thrust into the land market, needing not only a home for ourselves and our then newborn baby, but also our livestock, farm land is incredibly difficult to find. And incredibly expensive when you do.
And if you do manage to find a piece of land that fits your needs (ie. Has a livable house, water, septic, electricity, the right number of acres and maybe if you are really lucky a stable outbuilding or 2), you’re likely going to be bidding against the neighboring farmer who’s been doing this a few decades and has much deeper pockets than any of us that are just getting started.
While Nathan and I did ultimately find a home for our farm, our “diamond in the rough,” if you will, I can't emphasize enough just how much luck was wrapped up in finding this piece of land. Opportunities for new farmers were limited then and they are even more so now. We have many peers waiting in the wings, hoping for the day that they too will find a piece of land that fits their needs and that they can afford to buy or even rent. Young families are leaving Iowa and rural communities are suffering.
So what does LASO do to help with all that?
The creators of LASO recognized that the US and the needs of its farmers is too diverse for a one size fits all solution. So the exact details of how LASO will function will likely look different across the nation. LASO allows for community based solutions, meaning that farmers in Arizona can create solutions that will fit their land access needs which are likely different from the solutions that Iowans might come up with. And urban farming communities can develop solutions for their communities which will likely look different than the solutions that rural farmers will need. LASO, if enacted in full, would work with local non-profits to “provide funding for direct assistance and services to help farmers and ranchers afford and acquire land, cover closing costs and down payments, secure clear title on heirs’ property farmland, capitalize infrastructure and site improvements, acquire business technical assistance and farm viability training, and other activities.”
If you want to dig into LASO some more, I have included a summary of the bill at the end of this blog post.
At the end of the day, I'm just so grateful to have had the opportunity to advocate for myself and for my fellow farmers in this way. Nathan and I want to express our gratitude to you, our supporters. Without you we couldn't do this work of farming and we certainly wouldn’t be in a position to advocate for farmers and rural communities. Every sale, every word of encouragement sustains us for another day.
Your farmer,
Emily
I had the incredible opportunity to visit Washington DC and talk with “the people who make the rules of America” (as I have explained it to my kids).
The National Young Farmers Coalition asked me to join a Fly-In to Washington to discuss 3 amendments to the farm bill that would provide crucial support to young and beginning farmers.
The whole experience was phenomenal. I flew into Washington DC early Wednesday morning and experienced the Metro for the first time. I may have taken the wrong train on my first attempt – those of you who know me well won’t be surprised that the first thing I did in DC was get lost. Ha.
Luckily I had plenty of time and eventually got turned around and made it to the hotel with time to spare. Wednesday afternoon was set aside for a training session with my fellow farmer advocates from across the country. The training session began with introductions and I was both humbled and inspired by the amazing work each of these farmers and aspiring farmers are doing in and for their communities.
Patrick serves as the principle of Chattahoochee Hills Charter School, a K-8 ag school in Georgia. https://www.chatthillscharter.org/
De’Andress both farms and runs a non-profit called New Cahokia Commons Urban Farm which provides it community with fresh foods and also “helps BIPOC individuals address trauma through entrepreneurial enterprises nurtured through real access to land” https://www.newcahokiacommons.farm/home
Zoe is involved with the Minnesota Land Stewardship Project, Pesticide Action Network, Rootsprings Retreat Center whose mission is to “To foster healing, learning, and connection for individuals, community and Earth centering BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists, activists, and healers.” https://rootspringsmn.org/who-we-are/
Monika is an urban farming, growing for mutual aid and community fridges in Des Moines
And the list goes on and on…..Ana, Alberto, Jeremy, and more….. all doing phenomenal things within their communities.
To sum it up, I was in a room chock full of outstanding individuals who were both farming and serving their communities and also setting aside time to advocate for their fellow farmers. I was truly humbled.
During the training, we learned who each of us would be meeting with the following day as well as how to tell our stories of farming, land access and conservation in a concise yet compelling way. It can be challenging to whittle down a life story into concise digestible chunks and so this opportunity to work through our stories with other farmers and Young Farmer staff was invaluable.
The next day began with chilly photos on the steps of the iconic capital building. I had packed for 50’s & 60’s but the temps were more like mid to upper 30’s. You win some, you lose some ;)
Following photos, Monika from Sweet Tooth Farm in Des Moines and I were tasked with meeting with the offices of Zach Nunn, Charles Grassley, Joni Ernst, & Randy Feenstra. We would also be attending the meeting of the Senate Ag Committee. Our mission: garner support for LASO the Land Access Securities & Opportunities Act.
Despite the training the day before, I truly didn’t know what to expect at our first meeting of the day. Until we reached each office, we didn’t know if we would be meeting with the representatives and senators themselves or if we would meet with staffers that served them. We were told there are pros to both scenarios. I learned that staffers are typically assigned to one or two areas of policy and are expected to be experts in their fields. Each lawmaker has several staffers. It is the staffers’ job to sift through alllll of the information coming in from their area of expertise and take recommendations back to their bosses (i.e. the Rep or Senator that they work for).
I want to take a moment here to say that I had never put a lot of thought into the role of staffers. In fact, prior to this trip, I had only the most basic understanding of how the legislative process truly worked. Before the meetings I was a little disappointed that we might ‘only’ be meeting with staffers but now I have a great appreciation for the roles of the staffers and I am honored they took the time to hear our concerns and to consider the bills we are asking them to support.
Our first meeting was with Zach Nunn’s office. Rep Nunn is already a co-sponsor of the LASO act but legislators can change their mind at any time and so our job was to thank him and his staff for their support and reiterate just how important it is to continue to support and champion the bill.
The next 3 meetings were all about asking our legislators to add their support to the LASO bill. We were kindly received in each office and felt like we were able to provide valuable perspective on both land access and other issues facing farmers in Iowa like the need for more meat processing facilities and all of the unseen things needed to support those facilities like adequately trained inspectors. Other things that came up in conversation included the LFPA or Local Food Procurement Act, the Choose Iowa program, the need for more formalized farmer to farmer learning opportunities and the capacity for small farms to implement conservation practices and how the government can be supportive of our efforts.
Did we make an impact? I think we did. Young Farmers staff was upfront with us that there is no easy way to measure the response. Support can wax and wane as the farm bill progresses through the legislative process. A Rep that supports LASO or any other bill now might drop their sponsorship later in the game. Or someone may sign on late in the game after marinating on our stories. While LASO and the other bills include an allotment of money to fund programs, I learned that even a mention or acknowledgement of each bill in the final Farm Bill would be a win. A mention is the ‘foot in the door’ that can lead to stronger support and hopefully funding during the next farm bill.
I know I was certainly impacted. I understand government and the legislative process in a way now that I did not before. I am honored to have been involved in the legislative process. And most of all, I am encouraged both by organizations like Young Farmers and by the incredible farmers who are working everyday to create opportunity for farmers and those who wish to farm, to protect our environment, and to strengthen our food system.
Ok, cool but what is LASO? And why do I care?
LASO or the Land Access Security & Opportunities act addresses what is arguably the number one problem facing farmers and aspiring farmers today. Accessibility and affordability of land. If you can’t buy or rent land, you can’t grow crops or raise livestock and so all other problems are mute until you find land.
As Nathan and I found out when we were thrust into the land market, needing not only a home for ourselves and our then newborn baby, but also our livestock, farm land is incredibly difficult to find. And incredibly expensive when you do.
And if you do manage to find a piece of land that fits your needs (ie. Has a livable house, water, septic, electricity, the right number of acres and maybe if you are really lucky a stable outbuilding or 2), you’re likely going to be bidding against the neighboring farmer who’s been doing this a few decades and has much deeper pockets than any of us that are just getting started.
While Nathan and I did ultimately find a home for our farm, our “diamond in the rough,” if you will, I can't emphasize enough just how much luck was wrapped up in finding this piece of land. Opportunities for new farmers were limited then and they are even more so now. We have many peers waiting in the wings, hoping for the day that they too will find a piece of land that fits their needs and that they can afford to buy or even rent. Young families are leaving Iowa and rural communities are suffering.
So what does LASO do to help with all that?
The creators of LASO recognized that the US and the needs of its farmers is too diverse for a one size fits all solution. So the exact details of how LASO will function will likely look different across the nation. LASO allows for community based solutions, meaning that farmers in Arizona can create solutions that will fit their land access needs which are likely different from the solutions that Iowans might come up with. And urban farming communities can develop solutions for their communities which will likely look different than the solutions that rural farmers will need. LASO, if enacted in full, would work with local non-profits to “provide funding for direct assistance and services to help farmers and ranchers afford and acquire land, cover closing costs and down payments, secure clear title on heirs’ property farmland, capitalize infrastructure and site improvements, acquire business technical assistance and farm viability training, and other activities.”
If you want to dig into LASO some more, I have included a summary of the bill at the end of this blog post.
At the end of the day, I'm just so grateful to have had the opportunity to advocate for myself and for my fellow farmers in this way. Nathan and I want to express our gratitude to you, our supporters. Without you we couldn't do this work of farming and we certainly wouldn’t be in a position to advocate for farmers and rural communities. Every sale, every word of encouragement sustains us for another day.
Your farmer,
Emily
Below is the summary of the bill prepared by the National Young Farmers Coalition
Legislative Summary
The Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act would address the interrelated challenges of land access and tenure, as well as access to capital, markets, and technical assistance to help producers start and grow viable farm businesses, retain access to land, and transition land. The bill would authorize and expand USDA’s Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program with appropriations of $100 million per year.
Specifically, the bill would:
● Make grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, State and Tribal governments, non-profit service providers, community lending institutions, farmer cooperatives, and other eligible entities to strengthen land, capital, and market access outcomes for historically underserved farmers, ranchers, and forest owners and for producers operating in high-poverty areas.
● Provide funding for direct assistance and services to help farmers and ranchers afford and acquire land, cover closing costs and down payments, secure clear title on heirs’ property farmland, capitalize infrastructure and site improvements, acquire business technical assistance and farm viability training, and other activities.
● Prioritize projects that provide direct financial assistance to producers, involve collaborative networks or partnerships, utilize innovative land access and farmland protection and affordability tools, facilitate transition of farmland from existing producers to the next generation, and incorporate other factors that will compound the program’s impact.
● Establish a stakeholder committee to develop a process for evaluating applications and distributing funds to ensure the program is responsive to the needs of farmers and ranchers.
Legislative Summary
The Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act would address the interrelated challenges of land access and tenure, as well as access to capital, markets, and technical assistance to help producers start and grow viable farm businesses, retain access to land, and transition land. The bill would authorize and expand USDA’s Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program with appropriations of $100 million per year.
Specifically, the bill would:
● Make grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, State and Tribal governments, non-profit service providers, community lending institutions, farmer cooperatives, and other eligible entities to strengthen land, capital, and market access outcomes for historically underserved farmers, ranchers, and forest owners and for producers operating in high-poverty areas.
● Provide funding for direct assistance and services to help farmers and ranchers afford and acquire land, cover closing costs and down payments, secure clear title on heirs’ property farmland, capitalize infrastructure and site improvements, acquire business technical assistance and farm viability training, and other activities.
● Prioritize projects that provide direct financial assistance to producers, involve collaborative networks or partnerships, utilize innovative land access and farmland protection and affordability tools, facilitate transition of farmland from existing producers to the next generation, and incorporate other factors that will compound the program’s impact.
● Establish a stakeholder committee to develop a process for evaluating applications and distributing funds to ensure the program is responsive to the needs of farmers and ranchers.
RSS Feed