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Making Farming Accessible
- 1. Making Farming Accessible Holly Rippon-Butler Land Access Program Director National Young Farmers Coalition Suzanna Denison Land Access Coordinator WNC Farm Link Matt Coffay Farmer Second Spring Market Garden
- 2. For young farmers, by young farmers! NATIONAL YOUNG FARMERS COALITION
- 3. Policy Wins • Full funding for the Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) • Permanent FSA Microloan Program • Farm Storage and Facilities Loan Program • Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) – “The purposes of the program are to…protect the agricultural use and future viability…by limiting nonagricultural uses of that land”
- 6. Debt makes it difficult to access capital to start or grow farm businesses
- 7. More than ¾ of farmers who took our survey didn’t come from a farming background
- 9. Land around urban areas is where market opportunity is greatest, but also where land is most expensive
- 10. Retiring farmers need to recoup equity, which is often stored in their business or land. Retirement, kids’ college funds, healthcare…
- 11. • 70% of farmers under 30 rent land • In 2007, 29% of land in farms in the US was owned by non-operators (in some regions this number is more than 30%) • Farming on leased land often means that farmers are not secure, have limited opportunities for housing, and cannot build equity
- 12. Suzanna Denison Land Access Coordinator www.wncfarmlink.org
- 13. “In the next 20 years, 70 percent of the nation’s farmland will change hands. Farmers do not live forever, and most farm kids do not choose to carry on the family business. An eager generation of young Americans is motivated to farm but, they need land and few will be able to secure it without help.” - Lindsey & Benjamin Shute, “Keeping Farmland for Farmers”; NY Times 9-30-2013
- 14. Long term leases are difficult to find Short term leases most easiest way to farm entry, but risky Lenders don’t understand new farm business models Limited collateral and assets A Way of Life Farm – Bostic, NC
- 15. "I just don't see myself being able to buy land. What farmland there is in our area, it’s very, very expensive. If you're not independently wealthy or not inheriting family land, how do you come about finding a farm?” – Joe Evans of Paper Crane Farm in Mars Hill, NC
- 16. Suzanna Denison Land Access Coordinator info@wncfarmlink.org (828) 785-4284 wncfarmlink.org
- 17. Funded by: WNC Farm Link Partners:
- 18. Alleghany Ashe Avery Buncombe Burke Caldwell Cherokee Clay Graham Haywood Henderson Jackson Macon Madison McDowell Mitchell Polk Rutherford Swain Transylvania Watauga Wilkes Yancey
- 19. Farm Plan Farm Search Success Desire to Farm Gain Farm Experience Secure Farm Tenure
- 20. Access for what? • Appropriate resources for farm enterprise? What’s around? School district Farm services Proximity to markets Room for growth? Property resources Local real estate market For how long? Gaining skills v. establishing business How secure is it? Long-term lease, ground lease, ownership Ability to build equity
- 21. Database of interested landowners and farm seekers Vet potential matches Guide and facilitate landowners and seekers toward successful land arrangements Connect both landowners and farm seekers with appropriate resources Collaborate with regional partners Create land access guides, tools, workshops, and other resources
- 23. Business Planning Online, one-on-one, course (e.g. AgPlan) Free or fee-based Finding Farmland Evaluating land (local knowledge, beyond soil maps, Co-op Ext.) Farm linking or listing Developing a secure lease (sample templates available) Financing / Accessing Capital Owning v. leasing Grants, loans, micro-loans, investors, partners, CSA members, community (e.g. Kiva Zip)
- 24. Legal Assistance (business structure, contracts, transactions) National (Farm Commons, National Ag Law Center) Ask around for an ag-friendly attorney Insurance (farm, commercial, product liability) Find an ag-friendly insurance agent/company Ask other farmers for references Managing the Business (accounting, record keeping, tax considerations) Online resources One-on-one Training Mediation / Dispute Resolution (landowner-tenant conflicts / family transition)
- 25. Farm Seekers: “Your farm linking services were very helpful during our farmland search. After looking at one or two land listings through WNC Farm Link, we had a much better understanding of what the land prospects would be like in Western North Carolina. The land listings also did a good job outlining specific property attributes and aided us in what to look for in a farmland listing. The land access coordinator was very helpful in gathering land information and bridging the gap between us and landowners.” ~Adron Dell’Osa
- 26. Landowners: “As far as our experience working with WNC Farm Link, I am so grateful for all that this program does. We really liked the farmer we were set up with last year. The land access coordinator was 100% supportive every step of the way. She came out to our farm herself several times with potential renters. As a land owner, I am very grateful for the help, and feel that WNC Farm Link is a wonderful service to the community.” ~Diana Stone
- 28. “We are really appreciative of WNC Farm Link. The land access coordinator was very helpful in encouraging us to lease land while in the beginning stages of our farming career. She connected us with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy incubator farm, where we are currently leasing the land for our market garden. Because of our initial positive experience, we anticipate using Farm Link again in the future to purchase land.” ~Matt Coffay and Casara Logan of Second Spring Market Garden
- 29. What is a Land Trust? • Public / private • Non-profit • Focused on resource protection • Local, state, regional, or national • Conservation, agricultural, community, or water trust • Purchase property /easements • Land trust movement – long history, increasing in popularity in the 1970s • Over 1,700 land trusts in the US
- 30. Where Are Land Trusts?
- 31. Toolkit for Working with a Land Trust (1) Reducing the cost of land ownership through easement purchase • Prior to purchase • At time of sale • After purchase (2) Finding and acquiring land • Landowner matching & networking • Leasing land (lease-to-own, ground lease, incubator farm) (3) Services & support • Employment • Land transfer counseling • Purchase price advice • Supporting the local food economy
- 32. What You Should Not Expect From a Land Trust • Lending you money (some offer bridge loans) • Answering technical questions • Working outside their mission • Working beyond their capacity • Working on projects that are too small
- 33. What is an Easement? • Protects land by limiting future use • Bundle of sticks • Agricultural vs. conservation easement • Funds can be used to reduce cost of land purchase or to pay down mortgage, invest in business, etc. • Potential tax benefits
- 34. How Land Trusts Can Help Make Farmland Affordable
- 35. Talking to a Landowner about Easements ------------------ (1)Introduce the idea (2) Put the landowner in touch with the land trust (3) Suggest developing a purchase agreement and lease-to-own arrangement
- 36. • Public grant money • Community fundraising • On-farm events • Major donors • Foundations • Revolving loan fund Funding an Easement
- 37. Keep In Mind • All changes must be run by the land trust • The terms of the easement don’t change easily • Perpetuity – will affect your heirs; think long- term • Potential loan impacts • Talk to advisors • Be willing to be flexible and patient • Natural resources: water, minerals, oil and gas
- 38. • Leasing land – Ground lease – Incubator Farms Lease-to-own • Finding land – Knowing what’s for sale – Networking – Land linking programs • Purchase price Other Ways of Working with a Land Trust
- 39. • Land transfer facilitation • Employment • Educational programs • Lease intermediary • Supporting the local food economy
- 40. Examples
- 41. Tips for Reaching Out Do your research Make contact Be specific Be convincing Give a personal story Present a business plan Have your financials in line Hire a lawyer(?!)
- 42. Land Access Strategy Identify your position & your next steps Start now Cast a wide net Regular, scheduled communication Strive for consistent progress – be realistic and set goals Patience, (honest) planning, & persistence
- 44. • 2,000 sq ft • “The Market Gardener” and “The New Organic Grower” • Business plan based on market research
- 45. • Traditional outlets unsuccessful • Working with WNC Farm Link • Land Access + Access to Capital (FSA Microloan) = Small Farm Success
- 46. Building beds
- 48. • Assistance with access and infrastructure • Pros / Cons
- 49. • Specialty crops • Looking for permanent land • USDA FSA loan options • Farming as Public Service • Permanent market presence
- 50. Engaging with Farm Policy FARMERS ARE VOTERS!
- 51. NYFC’s campaign to add farmers to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Launched Fall 2014 #FarmingIsPublicService
- 53. • Win champions in Congress • Engage farmers to tell their stories • Create media hype
- 54. Our Model • Young Farmer Leadership (Board, Staff, Local) • Grasstops: building relationships with key decision makers through our D.C. office • Grassroots: mobilizing our network to take action – Rely on local leaders – 3 regional offices 26 CHAPTERS In 25 States
- 55. Campaign Timeline Spring 2014 • Internal strategy, fact finding, policy context, begin having conversations on the Hill Summer 2014 • Survey opens, beginning of larger conversation with our membership, campaign design
- 56. Winter-Spring 2015 • Build support, raise awareness, & work with congressional champions Fall 2014 •Campaign Launch!
- 57. Summer-Fall 2015 • Building support in House • Targeted grassroots action • Fly-in, congressional hearing, in-district meetings, op-eds • Working on introducing Bill in Senate June 2015 • Young Farmer Success Act (H.R. 2590) introduced in House! • Report released • Sign-on letter sent to Congress
- 58. 735 Respondents to Survey 9 Congressional Co-Sponsors (6 Dems/3 Republicans) 7 In-District Meetings In 5 States 1 Congressional Hearing Farmer testified before Senate Democrats 75+ References to Campaign in the Media 18 Farmer D.C. Meetings Including one with USDA!
- 59. Get Involved! • Ask your representative to co-sponsor the Young Farmer Success Act • Visit our website: – youngfarmers.org/studentl oans – Farmingispublicservice.or g • Set up a meeting with your Congressperson, write an op-ed, etc… • Spread the Word!
- 60. Join the movement at youngfarmers.org Land Access Holly Rippon-Butler holly@youngfarmers.org Policy & Campaigns Eric Hansen eric@youngfarmers.org
- 61. Workshops to Further Explore These Themes SATURDAY Workshop B: 10:30am-12:00pm • Panel: Tales from Beginning Farmers: The Lomax Experience Workshop C: 2:00pm-3:30pm • New Opportunities for Funding Your Food & Agriculture Business: From Crowdfunding to Venture Funding SUNDAY Workshop E: 9:00am-10:30am • Panel: An Agripreneur’s Guide: Leading Best Practices for Growing Your Food Business • Scaling Down Acreage Without Scaling Down Profit Workshop F: 10:45am-12:15pm • Whole Farm Planning for Beginning Farmers
Notes de l'éditeur
- Introductions Suzanna Matt Holly Overview of workshop [Holly] We are going to talk about the barriers that make farming accessible for the next generation of farmers (you!), focusing on access to land and capital, and then we will focus on strategies to address them. I will give an overview of the challenges, Suzanna will talk about resources and strategies for accessing land, I will talk in particular about land trusts, and then Matt will give an overview of how he negotiated all of this as a farmer. Then I will talk about NYFC’s student loan campaign and what we are working on right now.
- Overview of NYFC Founded in 2010 by young farmers around land access challenges to represent at policy level Mission: Represent, mobilize and engage farmers to ensure their success and start a career Coalition of over 67k farmers, ranchers and consumers fighting to create opportunity for young people in sustainable agriculture in the US 28 local chapters; members in all 50 states Our work includes: reforming policy to make land, capital and training accessible for beginning, diversified and organic farmers; supporting a growing network of NYFC chapters; and providing farmer-to-farmer technical resources and support.
- BFRDP: funds farmer training programs FSA Microloan program: $30-50k loans, streamlined process Farm Storage and Facilities Loan Program: vegetable storage ACEP: program purpose “to protect the agricultural use and viability of protected land for future generations by limiting nonagricultural uses of that land [Sec. 1265(b)].”
- The Survey: the first thing we did! We surveyed over 1,000 farmers across the country to determine what was working and what wasn’t
- Here is what we found! Access to land and capital were at the top of the list. Lack of capital challenges: Land access challenges: 1. Not coming from a farming background 2. Land values increasing 3. Land near markets out of reach
- - Access to capital – tied to access to land and tied to preexisting debt. I’ll talk more later about what we’re doing to address this. There are a number of ways that access to capital and land access are tied No preexisting business to establish credit Insecure land access makes it difficult to build equity
- Not coming from a farming background [makes it particularly challenging to locate land]
- Between 2004 and 2013, national farm values doubled, rising to an average of $2,950 per acre in 2014 [over $13k/acre in some states] 2011 national survey of 1,000 farmers 1969 to 1978, farmland prices increased 73 percent as agricultural producers responded to high returns and Federal policies that increased incentives for investing in agriculture (Barnett, 2010). Land access challenges: 1. Not coming from a farming background 2. Land values increasing – land size appropriateness is an issue, tied in with closeness to cities etc
- With a farmer’s salary, land ownership is often out of reach. They might be making less than $30k a year. At that rate, a mortgage payment of $800 a month is over a quarter of their salary
- FARM TRANSITION – challenge because of stored equity 2011 survey: 70% under 30 rent land compared to 37% over 30 [They don’t have land to inherit] 2012 USDA report Property ownership gives the individual something they control
- LAND TENURE – as a result of all of this, is shaky 2011 survey: 70% under 30 rent land compared to 37% over 30 [They don’t have land to inherit] 2012 USDA report Property ownership gives the individual something they control
- WNC Farm Link is a partnership facilitating successful relationships between farmers looking for land to farm, and landowners aspiring to keep their farm and forest land in agriculture.
- “In the next 20 years, 70 percent of the nation’s farmland will change hands. Farmers do not live forever, and most farm kids do not choose to carry on the family business. An eager generation of young Americans is motivated to farm but, they need land and few will be able to secure it without help.” Lindsey & Benjamin Shute, “Keeping Farmland for Farmers”; NY Times 9-30-2013 I am here today to talk about how Farm Linking services can help with these dramatic and inevitable farm transitions of the next 20 years.
- Briefly want to mention some of the main barriers for young or beginning farmers: Long term leases are difficult to find (but often a necessary requisite for sustainable ag practices and the necessary soil amendments etc., or in the case of perennial or orchard-based farms for example) Short term leases most easiest way to farm entry, but risky (high turn-over and instability rate, and the inability to save and gain capital often present) Lenders don’t understand new farm business models (don’t often even see small farms as a traditional business) Limited collateral and assets (Holly will talk more about the loan forgiveness for farmers program later on…)
- "I just don't see myself being able to buy land. What farmland there is in our area, it’s very, very expensive. If you're not independently wealthy or not inheriting family land, how do you come about finding a farm?” – Joe Evans of Paper Crane Farm in Mars Hill, NC In the mountains or near major cities, it is typical to see $10,000/acre or even once I saw $30,000/acre in the High Country. These are developer prices, not agricultural price/acre rates. Often farmers and developers are competing for the same land-who’s going to win that? Again, here is where land trusts can be very helpful, as Holly will explain in a moment.
- Slide from Tim Biello – AFT WNCFL AIDS IN AND WORKS WITH EVERYONE OF THESE STAGES OF LAND ACCESS…. The Stages of Land Access: Desire to Farm – Gain Farm Experience – Farm Plan/Farm Search – Secure Farm Tenure – Success! Poll the audience – where are you at in your land access process? Searching Leasing Long term access with security and equity Ownership
- FOR THOSE FOLKS MORE AT THE BEGINNING STAGES OF THE LAST SLIDE, FARM LINKING PROGRAMS HELP YOU ASK THE FOLLOWING IN THIS NEXT SLIDE: When looking for land, it’s important to think through some of these things: Access for what? Appropriate resources for farm enterprise? What’s around? School district Farm services Proximity to markets Room for growth? Property resources Local real estate market For how long? Gaining skills v. establishing business How secure is it? Long-term lease, ground lease, ownership Ability to build equity I have an excellent sheet in the back from the University of Vermont’s “Farm Rental Assessment Checklist,” which goes further in depth with this check-list. Including: Access: How will the farmer access the property? Does the site have adequate entry and exit for necessary equipment in every season and time of day during which someone will be farming? Might access be blocked at any time? Agricultural support services: How far from the property are hardware stores, feed suppliers, mechanics, hired equipment operators or other support businesses or services? Equipment usage: Is equipment included in the lease agreement? Might the landowner do custom work with his own equipment? Where can equipment be stored? Housing: Is housing included in the lease agreement? Is building a residence an option? Is there housing nearby? Infrastructure: What agricultural infrastructure, such as barns, sheds, fencing, irrigation lines or coolers, is on site that could be available to the farm operation? How will infrastructure maintenance, repairs and improvements be handled between the two parties? If the farmer will be investing in improvements, will he or she be compensated? Property boundaries: What land is included? How will the boundaries be defined and monitored? Restrictions/restricted areas: Are there sensitive areas such as wetlands and water bodies within the property? Are there areas of the property where the farmer will not be allowed to operate? Water resources: All potential sources of water for farm operations should be identified, including those currently used or those that could be developed. For example, a hillside seep could be improved as a spring, a river or stream, a well, or a hookup to a a public utility and should be identified from the outset.
- How Does WNCFL Work? Database of interested landowners and farm seekers Vet potential matches Guide and facilitate landowners and seekers toward successful land arrangements Connect both landowners and farm seekers with appropriate resources Collaborate with regional partners Create land access guides, tools, workshops, and other resources
- Slide modified from AFT powerpoint Also in the back we have a Carolina-specific Resource Guide to Accessing Farmland: 1. Online, one-on-one, course (e.g. AgPlan) Free or fee-based 2. Finding Farmland: Evaluating land for crops/market access/schools (Cooperative Extension is great for this, esp. Small Farms agent) Farm linking or listing Developing a secure lease (I have example lease templates and info on how to craft leases) 3. Financing/Accessing capital – owning v. leasing, grants/loans/crowdfunding, grants, etc. (I have a partnership with Kiva Zip, they are a great resource)
- Slide modified from AFT powerpoint: Legal Assistance (business structure, contracts, transactions) National (Farm Commons, National Ag Law Center) Ask around for an ag-friendly attorney Insurance (farm, commercial, product liability) Find an ag-friendly insurance agent/company Ask other farmers for references Managing the Business (accounting, record keeping, tax considerations) Online resources One-on-one Training Mediation / Dispute Resolution (landowner-tenant conflicts / family transition)
- Recent Testimonials and Successful Partnerships and Matches: WNCFL aids in the farm search learning curve…. “Your farm linking services were very helpful during our farmland search. After looking at one or two land listings through WNC Farm Link, we had a much better understanding of what the land prospects would be like in Western North Carolina. The land listings also did a good job outlining specific property attributes and aided us in what to look for in a farmland listing. The land access coordinator was very helpful in gathering land information and bridging the gap between us and landowners.” ~Adron Dell’Osa
- The same goes for landowners… “As far as our experience working with WNC Farm Link, I am so grateful for all that this program does. We really liked the farmer we were set up with last year. The land access coordinator was 100% supportive every step of the way. She came out to our farm herself several times with potential renters. As a land owner, I am very grateful for the help, and feel that WNC Farm Link is a wonderful service to the community.” ~Diana Stone
- “We are really appreciative of WNC Farm Link. The land access coordinator was very helpful in encouraging us to lease land while in the beginning stages of our farming career. She connected us with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy incubator farm, where we are currently leasing the land for our market garden. Because of our initial positive experience, we anticipate using Farm Link again in the future to purchase land.” ~Matt Coffay and Casara Logan of Second Spring Market Garden
- What is a land trust Non-profit organizations started to protect specific resources: wildlife habitat, farmland, water quality etc. Private, non-profit land trusts as well as government agencies Can operate at the local, state, federal, nonprofit, or community level Can be a conservation land trust, community land trust, agricultural, or water trust [they can all potentially help you in different ways] Purchase property outright or hold a conservation easement on it
- 2 focus groups and interviews with conservation leaders 223 land trusts surveyed for 2013 report - respondents
- Purchase of conservation easement - They can purchase an easement before, during, or after the sale of the land Finding and acquiring land Landowner matching Leasing (lease to own – OSI; ground lease – Equity Trust) Purchasing land and reselling Other - Employment (Trustees of Reservation MA)
- Easements are a compromise between you, the land trust, and funders Typically in perpetuity – no subdivision or development Flexible language, similar to leases in many ways – flexible documents but important that the language is very clear Receive cash in exchange – can help with estate transfer, business growth, etc… (CAN BE PURCHASED BEFORE, DURING, or AFTER sale) – should make land cheaper, but as discussed below might not always have that effect Bundle of sticks you can sell sticks from (right to develop, subdivide, etc) – extinguishes the rights Ag easements allow production to continue Typically, farm must be in active agricultural use. Once sold, however, it can fall out of production. Innovative new easements to address this Benefits: tax, business support, ownership, ag legacy, community benefits
- Affirmative language – must always be farmed (in some cases the landowner has two years to either sell to a farmer or lease to a farmer before the land trust can step in and find a farmer to lease). MA and Peconic Land Trust are doing this. Option to Purchase at Agricultural Value – when it is sold (if not to a family member) land trust has option to purchase or assign sale to a qualified farmer.
- Others will talk more about the specifics of funding an easement and a typical timeline, but you should expect it will take a year or more (possibly less)
- You do not give up ownership Building envelopes It’s forever Potential tax benefits if it’s a bargain sale Changes are not easy Common landowner rights: sell the property, replace or add on existing buildings; construct structures where specified; harvest timber Common landowner restrictions: no buildings outside building area; no surface mining; no dumping trash; no billboards; no further subdivision of property In the west, you have to worry about the water rights being adequate to support conservation purposes Easements prohibit surface mining May be able to retain oil and gas drilling rights
- Ground lease [[Live Power Farm, Equity Trust] Incubator [Southside Community Land Trust] Lease to own [Tierra Vegetables with Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District]
- Supporting the local food economy Encouraging the community to buy local Highlighting local farms Getting involved in local, state, and federal policy
- FINDING LAND Farmlink Incubator farm network
- Expect if the project moves forward a request for proposals or interview process Preparation of a project plan
- Download on our website
- Our Story I was a gardener with a philosophy degree. I went to graduate school in Nanjing, China, and came back to the States with a conviction to do something positive for our food system here. We started with a 2,000 sq ft garden in the back yard of our rented house outside of Asheville, NC. I’m pretty sure our neighbors thought we were crazy, because we were out in the yard at 4 in the morning every Saturday with headlamps, harvesting salad mix for the farmer’s market and a couple of restaurants. I read The Market Gardener and met Jean-Martin Fortier at an event in Asheville in spring of 2014. I read his book, and coupled with the New Organic Grower (which I’d read ten years earlier when I started gardening), I decided this was what I wanted to do. I dropped out of a graduate program that I’d started here in the U.S. and started developing a business plan, which I based on our experience that summer and fall at the farmer’s market.
- Once we had our business plan in place, we were ready to rent land from a mutual friend with a long-term lease. We applied and were approved for a loan through the USDA Farm Service Agency’s new microloan program for beginning farmer’s (which I highly recommend to any young farmer in need of capital). At the last minute, the lease we’d been prepared to sign fell through. We were desperate for some kind of land access. I contacted the then-head of WNC Farm Link, Cameron Farlow, and she immediately connected us with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s new incubator farm project. You can see what we started with here: a field of clay. We amended an acre of raised beds (128 of them) with 3” of compost, which amounted to about 2,000 wheelbarrow loads, and worked the soil strictly with a BCS walk-behind tractor. It was a lot of work. But…
- Slowly but surely…
- …things came together.
- Our experience working with a land trust and incubator program has been positive overall. While it can be challenging to navigate the bureaucracy of even a small non-profit organization, it’s extremely helpful for young farmers to have the opportunity to experiment with different site layouts, processing infrastructure, and so on, without having to commit long-term to a particular setup.
- As of now, we’re establishing a solid market foundation for our specialty crop: salad mix. Simultaneously, we’re looking to find a permanent growing site that we can purchase, build a house on, etc. The USDA FSA loan option is essential to our land search. Meanwhile, I have an essentially inapplicable and irrelevant degree in philosophy that requires a burdensome monthly loan payment. The NYFC campaign for farmer student loan forgiveness would radically improve our business plan. Setting up a permanent market presence for whatever you specialize in is essential to success as a new, competitive, small farm.
- Why This Higher Education Act is up for reauthorization We polled our members about this and out of 700, avg 35k debt; 53% struggling to pay; 30% not farming bc of loans Why now? Vilsack’s 2010 call for 100,000 more farmers in the next five years…didn’t happen 63% of all ag land expected to transition management in next 25 years Farmers over 65 outnumber farmers under 35 by a margin of 6-to-1 Between 2007 and 2012, the number of farm operators fell by 90,000 and the average age rose to 58 According to USDA TOTAL data, 10% of all ag land expected to transition ownership in next five years, but only 2.3% is expected to transfer to non-relatives – leaving very small opportunity for first generation farmers We need to incentive farmers!
- THE CAMPAIGN Tactics: grasstops (start with house republicans) Chapter leaders working on the ground. Taking survey and finding spokespeople (literally by combing through all 700 responses and just cold emailing people) Media campaign to bring attention- this is the issue. Have farmers write in op-eds and letters to the editor [Mark Bittman article, various op-eds] Bold branding Once legislation is introduced, call for wide support (democrats, conservative farm organizations)
- What makes us unique? We have a farmer-led board > staff > local leaders (volunteers). Creating an advisory committee now.
- We’ve known we wanted to work on this issue for a long time Spring 2014: initial internal conversations about what our strategy would be // fact finding // determining the policy context for something like this // begin having conversations on the hill Summer 2014: launched survey, which marked the beginning of the larger conversation with our members – started collecting stories; 500 responses by end of the year; 735 now Working with designers to make campaign pretty
- - Fall 2014: campaign launch – stickers, t-shirts, one-pager released, tabling at conferences – launched at FarmAid - Winter-Spring: use the network to raise the profile of the stories we had collected (social media etc) & work with Gibson on legislative language; report writing
- June 2015: Gibson introduces bill; report released; sign on letter with 100 organizations sent to Congress Summer-Fall: working on expanding circle of supporters in House; working on getting bill introduced in Senate; district meetings in Kansas, Michigan, washington, NY, and Connecticut; fly-in (7 farmers to DC for 18 meetings plus one with USDA); Congressional hearing – 1 farmer testifying in front of Senate Democrats
- What makes us unique? We have a farmer-led board > staff > local leaders (volunteers). Creating an advisory committee now.
- National coalition of farmers w/ members in every state= get noticed by USDA and especially krysta harden Grasstops relationships- Krysta Harden, deputy secretary roundtable