Farm Aid Livestream Event | Virtual Briefing on the People's Hearing on the Farm Bill

Grassroots organizers have an unique understanding of how our current Farm Bill affects communities and are an often-underrepresented voice in policy creation. This briefing will feature a panel of organizers and farmers from around the country who are working to address the challenges of our agricultural system at the grassroots level. They’ll speak on the need for a Farm Bill that serves people, not corporations, addresses climate change, and builds a more racially just food system.

Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised more than $70 million to support programs to help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture, and promote food from family farms. In September, Farm Aid convened a "People's Hearing," as part of the annual Farm Aid festival. At that hearing, Farm Aid’s organizing partners testified to USDA staff members on the issues of climate change, corporate consolidation, and racial equity, and the important role the Farm Bill can play in addressing them.

Please join us for this LIVE event on Wednesday, November 8th at 1pm EST. Feel free to share the info. Spanish translation will be provided.

Access the event LIVE on November 8th at 1pm EST at https://www.farmaid.org/thepeoplesfarmbill

LFPA 2023 Food Program

Together, we have distributed 500 bags of fresh produce and 230 pounds of beef to Gibson County residents! 328 Gibson County and Vanderburgh County residents also received either nutrition or food budgeting information to encourage and improve healthier eating habits.

Distributions featured LOCAL, FARM-FRESH produce were distributed one bag per household. Locally produced produce and meat were funded through the USDA’s LFPA grant program.

We were thankful to be a part of this program to help serve the community.

Are you a farmer, grower or producer that is interested in participating in the LFPA Grant program? In addition to increasing local food access, grant funding to the Fresh Connect Central cooperative – consisting of all food banks serving Indiana and their distribution networks – will help build and expand economic opportunity for local and socially disadvantaged producers (those subject to discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, sex, national origin, disabiIity, or religion. The application window is between 9/28/23-10/31/23. After 12/31/23, applications will still be taken on a rolling basis with priority being on folks who applied in the initial round until the end of the calendar year. Please email Isis Eynon directly if applying on or after 12/31/23: ieynon@gleaners.org.

Apply Today

Legacy attends D.C. to Support the Farm Bill

Legacy attended and supported the national Farmers Market Coalition (FMC) at a Fly-In to Washington, D.C. The primary agenda was to collaborate on pushing key Bills along with FMC policy priorities to be written into the 2023 Farm Bill, along with engaging in productive conversations with Congresspeople and their staff.

Why the FARM BILL MATTERS

Every 5 years the farm bill is voted on (paragraph) jump to last paragraph. Future farm systems and programs. Together, our voices have provided valuable insights into the intricacies of our industry. Everyone was able to articulate the issues with clarity and cater to the narrative as per the political alignments.

We were able to reinforce the critical messages from the meeting, along with advocating for the reduction in match requirements for FMPP grants under $100,000, a matter of utmost importance to my market and Farmers Market Coalition, we are including the key bills we are actively supporting:

The Local Farms and Food Act (S.1205, H.R. 2723)

The Farmers Market and Food Bank Revitalization Act (S.2659, H.R. 2659)

The Enabling Farmers to Benefit from Processing Nutrition Programs Act (H.R. 4943, S.2504)

Your support is pivotal in creating a more equitable and robust local food system for our communities. There is still time for your voice to be heard in support of our

farmers, farmers markets, and local food systems. The Farmers

Market Coalition is calling-to-action Hoosiers and stakeholders to

contact your legislators and ask for their support for the above three

bills for a fairer, more equitable Farm Bill to strengthen and support

farmers and farmers markets, who are vital and integral parts of our

agriculture, economy, and communities.

If you do not know where to begin, the FMC has an advocacy toolkit

and webinar to get you started.

FMC TOOLKIT