Mark’s Policy Corner
At this difficult and confusing time for all of us in the organic and regenerative agriculture and food system movement, I am writing to you all to share:
· A valuable resource offered by American Farmland Trust
· An opportunity to participate in a special Week of Action to defend our farms, our land, one another, and our communities from the recent onslaught of funding freezes and programmatic disruptions
Emergency Resilience Grants
Application Deadline April 26
The American Farmland Trust (AFT) Brighter Future Fund is offering special grants to small and midsize farmers and ranchers who are experiencing financial disruptions due to natural disasters (such as flooding, wildfires, or avian flu), the loss or delay of funding due to the government funding freeze and contract suspensions, or a loss of markets. Find out more at https://farmland.org/
Week of Action
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
April 22 – 29, 2025
This is our chance to stand up and be heard, to let Congress and USDA know how severely the Administration’s funding freeze, program suspensions, and staff downsizing at the Department have hurt farmers and ranchers, their service providers and communities, their land, and all of us who depend on agriculture producers for our daily nourishment.
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is organizing a Week of Action – simple steps that we can take to fight back against the wrecking ball. In NSAC’s words:
Our food system and farmers are under attack, and we won’t stand by as Congress and USDA dismantle the essential programs and resources that we all depend on. Amidst all of the chaos and uncertainty, we are working together to both protect farmers and people from further harm and win positive policy change that will build a better food system for all.
Each day of this Week of Action focuses on a specific issue or initiative and includes a simple step you can take. Don’t let this list overwhelm you – nobody expects any one individual to do ALL of the following – just pick the one(s) that speak most directly to you, that you are most passionate about and feel most able and ready to take the specific action for that day. And thank you so much for whatever you do during this special Week!
Tuesday April 22 – Earth Day: The Agriculture Resilience Act
On Earth Day, April 22, 2025, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) will reintroduce the Agriculture Resilience Act. This comprehensive bill creates a roadmap for making US agriculture climate-neutral and climate-resilient.
This bill offers straightforward, incentive-based strategies for giving farmers the freedom to voluntarily improve the long-term health and resilience of their farms while supporting farmer livelihoods, and with enough support, it can become part of the farm bill. As lawmakers prepare to write the next farm bill, we need to make sure they are listening to farmers and advocating for their needs.
Call to Action: contact your Congressional Representative and your Senators and urge them to co-sponsor the Agriculture Resilience Act. You can call them or use this NSAC link to ARA action.
Wednesday April 23 – Restore Funding for Local Food Purchases
The highly effective Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) programs have suffered disruptions as a result of USDA’s chaotic response to executive orders to cancel some programs and pause funding for many others. These and other food systems programs have supported valuable food security work by VABF, Appalachian Sustainable Development, Roanoke Foodshed Network, and many other NGOs in the Commonwealth and beyond.
Call to Action: Ask your Members of Congress to fully fund a permanent local food purchase program in the Farm Bill. Send posts on social media about the impact LFPA cuts had on your community and tag Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins
Thursday April 24 – Comprehensive Disaster Assistance for Farmers
Many of us are still recovering from Hurricane Helene and/or other extreme weather events and other natural disasters.
Soon, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make $20 billion available for farmers who have experienced natural disasters. At this time, USDA is prepared to offer a streamlined path to these funds for the largest and most-resourced farms who are already enrolled in crop insurance and commodity programs. However, farmers in our communities without insurance, who farm fewer acres, and who grow multiple crops continue to struggle to access federal disaster assistance.
The USDA must hear directly from farmers why this historic investment must be accessible for ALL farmers.
Call to Action – Farmers only: Sign this letter to Secretary Rollins anytime between now and April 28. NSAC will submit the letter to Secretary Rollins at the end of that day. We aim for at least 500 farmer signatures, so share it with other farmers in your network.
Friday April 25 – Celebrate and Protect Federal Employees
In an effort to comply with executive orders, the USDA is attempting to downsize its workforce by 30,000 through “deferred resignation” offers and direct firings. The impacts on USDA agencies like NRCS, FSA, and Agricultural Research Service have been devastating, and many local field offices have closed or are planning to close.
Call to Action: Contact your district NRCS and FSA offices and thank the staff for their service (call, drop by, or send a note in the mail). Ask your Congressional Representative and your Senators to urge Secretary Rollins to rehire all USDA employees and fully staff field offices.
Monday April 28 – Hold Congress and USDA Accountable for Unlawful Actions
The abrupt suspension of USDA programs, funding, and contracts is not just “unprecedented” it is unlawful. In response, Sen. Booker (D-NJ) and Rep. Vasquez (D-NM) introduced the Honor Farmer Contracts Act of 2025 in the Senate and House on March 27 to end and reverse the federal funding freeze, staff layoffs, and office closures. The bill has 15 additional co-sponsors in the Senate but not yet any of Virginia’s delegation to Congress.
Call to Action: Urge your Congressional Representative and our Senators to call on USDA Secretary Rollins to release all funding immediately and honor all signed contracts with farmers, service providers, and other stakeholders. Urge your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Honor Farmers Contracts Act.
Tuesday April 29 – President Trump’s 100th Day in Office – Congressional Briefing
Since President Trump took office, producers have not received the support and service they need and many are owed money for investments they’ve already made in their farms. Training and technical assistance have stalled or been canceled. Contracts and programs producers were looking to for the growing season have been halted. While producers are starting to play for the 2025 growing season and need certainty for the year, USDA and the Trump administration has created chaos within our food system
To showcase the impact of the administration on producers, National Young Farmers Coalition is hosting a congressional briefing “How USDA Funding Freeze and other Executive Actions are Impacting Young Farmers”. You’ll hear from farmers from Iowa, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania who have had canceled contracts and stalled payments. They will discuss how the USDA grant freeze has affected farm operations, conservation projects, land access, and local food systems across the country.
Call to Action: Join these young farmers by inviting your Members of Congress to the briefing (see email template below). Then, call their offices and ask 5 friends to call their Members of Congress to ask them to stop the funding freeze and co-sponsor the Honor Farmer Contracts.
NSAC email template to invite your Representative and Senators to this Briefing:
Dear
We invite you to join us for a congressional briefing on Tuesday, April 29th at 12:00 PM ET to hear directly from farmers about the impacts of the USDA funding freeze and the broader disruptions to federal agricultural programs.
The briefing will highlight:
· How the USDA grant freeze has affected farm operations, conservation projects, land access, and local food systems across the country.
· Testimonies from farmers experiencing job losses, stalled reimbursements, and canceled contracts.
· Concerns around the recent termination of USDA staff administering food and agriculture programs.
This is a critical opportunity to learn how current administrative actions are undermining bipartisan, congressionally authorized programs and destabilizing rural economies.
Save the Date:
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
12:00 PM ET
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/
