Every five years, our lawmakers in Congress must reauthorize the nation’s Farm Bill, an omnibus bill governing policy in areas related to the agricultural sector, including farm income support, food assistance, trade, and more. It takes many months to reach a consensus around such a massive bill, and Congress is behind schedule. While existing programs will continue at the level they were last funded (in 2018), new initiatives like Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s Agricultural Resilience Act and other climate-smart measures can’t be implemented until they are authorized and funded in the next Farm Bill.
Join Shelley Megquier, Policy and Research Director for Maine Farmland Trust, and Dave Colson, owner of New Leaf Farm and Northeast Region’s Farmer Representative to the National Organic Farmers Association, to learn about the policies and programs that are needed to support farmers and protect Maine’s farmland in the face of climate change, and what we can do at the state level to address these issues.
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We really enjoyed putting this program together with Shelley Megquier, Policy and Research Director for Maine Farmland Trust, and Dave Colson, owner of New Leaf Farm and Northeast Region’s Farmer Representative to the National Organic Farmers Association. There are so many ways to take action to protect and sustain our farmers, families, communities, and land:
Say thank you to Maine members of Congress who are active on climate and agriculture.
Send a letter to or call Maine members of Congress and tell them your priorities for the farm bill.
Tell your story on social media or in some other way to explain what climate-friendly agriculture means to you as a Maine resident.
Talk to your friends and contacts in other states, specifically states with House or Senate Agriculture Committee members.
Stay tuned for the recommendations of Maine Climate Council’s Natural and Working Lands Working Group.
Tell your state representative and senator about how much you value farmland conservation.
Sign up to receive Action Alerts at: mainefarmlandtrust.org.
Resources:
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: sustainableagriculture.net/
National Resources Conservation Service website with detailed program information and Farm Bill brochure in multiple languages: www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/...
Recent letter urging President Biden to ensure the next Farm Bill transforms our food systems: blog.ucsusa.org/karen-perry-s...
organicfarmersassociation.org/
www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/fu...
Read the full text of the ARA on Congress.gov