Certified Naturally Grown joined forces with a broad coalition of farmers and farming organizations from across the country to converge in Washington DC in early March to call for a Farm Bill that prioritizes farmer resilience in the face of climate change.
The three days of action began with an opening and reception at the stately Luther Place Memorial Church, where an impressive lineup of farmers detailed the challenges they and their communities have faced. Among them was CNG member Temitope (Tope) Fajingbesi, co-owner, with her husband Olaniyi (Niyi) Balogun, of Dodo Farms in Maryland. She spoke of the need for policies that would make farming a more financially sustainable occupation. She expressed gratitude for a land match program run by Montgomery County which connects landowners with farmers, but noted how difficult it has been to find additional land that would allow for their farm’s expansion.
The headline event was the Rally for Resilience on the second day, featuring compelling speeches and musical performances. Farm Aid arranged for performances by John Cougar Mellencamp, Shirlette Ammons, and Lil Idli from the stage, and a special guest performance via video from Willie Nelson. The rally and music was followed by a spirited march to the Capitol building. On day three, delegations of farmers from dozens of organizations met with their members of Congress.
The events of these three days happened thanks to the strong leadership of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), and Farm Aid. But that was only the beginning; the work continues – and intensifies – to ensure the next Farm Bill will provide meaningful support to ecological farmers, and enable them to build resilience in the face of extreme weather and other impacts of climate change.
Sign up to Take Action with NSAC and keep up the pressure for a farm bill that invests in ecological farming practices that can make agriculture part of the solution.
And for fun, and more photos, check out some of the news articles written about these events at the links below:
- Reuters
- Billboard
- Lancaster Farming
- Civil Eats
- Lancaster Farming #2 (with Alice’s orange Root for Farmers sign!)
- Idaho Capitol Sun
- NSAC’s press release