Over 300 organizations from across the country have officially endorsed the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act, and are encouraging their elected members in Congress to co-sponsor this important piece of legislation. Full text of the letter is included below.
Dear Members of Congress:
We the undersigned fully endorse the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act (S. 1773, H.R. 3286) that was introduced on Tuesday, November 1 by Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, along with 35 original co-sponsors.
The legislation helps farmers and ranchers by addressing production, aggregation, processing, marketing, and distribution needs to access growing local and regional food markets. The bill also assists consumers by improving access to healthy food. The measure provides secure farm bill funding for critically important programs that support family farms, expand new farming opportunities, create rural jobs, and invest in the local food and agriculture economy. We urge you to support this comprehensive bill that will improve upon existing farm programs to effectively foster local and regional food system development.
National
CCOF
Center for Race, Poverty, and the Environment
Center for Rural Affairs
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Center for Social Inclusion
Consumer Federation of America
The Cornucopia Institute
Crawford Stewardship Project
Demeter Association
Environmental Working Group
Equity Trust, Inc.
Fair Food Network
Farm Aid
Farmers Market Coalition
Food and Water Watch
Food Animal Concerns Trust
Food Democracy Now!
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED)
Izaak Walton League of America
Local Harvest CSA
National Association of Conservation Districts
National Association of Counties
National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
National Center for Appropriate Technology
National Farm to School Network
National Farmers Union
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
National Organic Coalition
National Young Farmers’ Coalition
Organic Farming Research Foundation
Organic Trade Association
Organic Valley
Oxfam America
Pesticide Action Network
Prevention Institute
Renewing the Countryside
Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI)
School Food FOCUS National Office
Slow Food USA
Union of Concerned Scientists
Women, Food, and Agriculture Network
Arizona
Local Food Concepts
Arkansas
ARDWG – Sustainable Agri Group
Delta Land & Community
Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
California
California Farmers Union
California FarmLink
CCOF
Center for Land-Based Learning
Center for Race, Poverty, and the Environment
Classic Organic
Community Alliance with Family Farmers
Crane Creek Growers
Dietrick Institute for Applied Insect Ecology
Ecological Farming Association
Farm to Table Food Services
Krout & Associates
Mar Vista Farmers Market
Organic Farming Research Foundation
Pesticide Action Network
PolicyLink
Prevention Institute
Roots of Change
Slow Food California
Colorado
Edible Planet
Connecticut
Ellington Farmers’ Market
Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut
Wholesome Wave
Yale Food Action
District of Columbia
Columbia Heights Community Marketplace
Environmental Working Group
Healthy Farms Healthy People Coalition
ISED – Institute for Social & Economic Development
National Association of Counties
National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
National Farmers Union
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Oxfam America
Florida
AGvocacy, LLC.
Florida Certified Organic Growers & Consumers, Inc. (FOG)
Pax Christi Florida
Sharper Than New, LLC
Slow Food First Coast
Slow Food Glades to Coast
Georgia
Augusta Locally Grown
Environment Georgia
Georgia Organics
Historic Westside Gardens, Inc.
Southeastern African American Farmers Organic Network
Idaho
Idaho’s Bounty Co-op
Illinois
Angelic Organics Learning Center
Bush Homeowners and Tenants Association
Central Illinois Farm Beginnings
Chicago Botanic Garden
Chicago Honey Co-op
Door to Door Organics
Downtown Bloomington Farmers’ Market
Edible Economy Project
Evanston Community Market
Evanston Food Council
Food Animal Concerns Trust
Food Works
GIPNA (Greater Independence Park Neighborhood Assoc.)
Glenview Farmers Market
Glenwood Sunday Market
Good Earth Food Alliance LLC
Green City Market
Healthy Dining Chicago
Highland Farmers Market
Illinois Farmers Market Network
Illinois Organic Growers Association
Illinois Stewardship Alliance
A Just Harvest
Liberty Prairie Foundation
North Central Illinois Farmer Network
Pilsen Community Market
The Land Connection
The Talking Farm
Uncommon Ground, Inc.
Urban Canopy
Indiana
Green B.E.A.N. Delivery
White Violet Center for Eco-Justice
Iowa
Food Democracy Now!
Iowa Environmental Council
Leopold Group, Southeast Iowa chapter of Iowa Sierra Club
Local Harvest CSA
National Catholic Rural Life Conference
National Center for Appropriate Technology
Practical Farmers of Iowa
Women, Food and Agriculture Network
Kansas
Kansas Rural Center
Maine
Belfast Co-op
Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
Eat Local Foods Coalition of Maine
Food AND Medicine
Four Seasons Produce Cooperative
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
Maine Rural Partners
Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society
Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community
Slow Money Maine Steering Committee
Somerset Grist Mill Crossroads
Maryland
Crossroads Community Food Network
Future Harvest CASA
Izaak Walton League of America
Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future
Montgomery Countryside Alliance
Recycled Cities
Riverdale Park Farmers Market
Massachusetts
Berkshire Co-op
Berkshire Grown
Boston Area Gleaners
Cambridge Farmers Market
Equity Trust, Inc.
Farm Aid
Field to Table
Franklin County Community Development Corporation
Justamere Tree Farm
Lutheran Social Service of New England
Melrose/Sally Frank’s Farmers’ Market
New England Small Farm Institute
New Entry Sustainable Farming Project
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
Northeast Organic Farming Association of Massachusetts
Old Rochester Farmers’ Market
Real Pickles
Rural Votes
Slow Food Boston
Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard
The Carrot Project
The Lost Arts Collaborative / Captain Pollard’s Flintlock Farm
Tyngsboro Farmers Market
Union of Concerned Scientists
Michigan
Food System Economic Partnership
Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK)
Growing Hope
Michigan Farmers Market Association
Michigan Food and Farming Systems
Michigan Land Use Institute
Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance
Michigan Young Farmer Coalition
Northwest Michigan Council of Governments
Northwest Michigan Food & Farming Network
Skinny Farm of Scio
Slow Food Huron Valley
Sustainable Community Farms
Oryana Natural Foods Market
Minnesota
CAPI
The Farm on St Mathias
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches
The Hmong American Farmers Association
Kids for Saving Earth
Lakewinds Natural Food Coop
Land Stewardship Project
Mill City Farmers Market
Minnesota Farmer’s Market Association
Minnesota FoodShare
Minnesota Food Association
Office of the Mayor of Minneapolis, R.T. Rybak
Renewing the Countryside
River Market Community Co-op
Sprout MN
Stevens Square Farmers Market
Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota
Village Farmers Market
Wedge Community Co-op
Mississippi
Mississippians Engaged in Greener Agriculture
Rainbow Natural Grocery Cooperative
Missouri
Catholic Charities of Kansas City- St. Joseph
Montana
AmeriCorps
National Center for Appropriate Technology
Nebraska
Center for Rural Affairs
Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society
New Hampshire
Concord Cooperative Market
Granite State Fish
Manchester Food Co-op
New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts
Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire (NOFA-NH)
Sea Coast Eat Local
New Jersey
City Green, Inc.
Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey
New Mexico
New Mexico Acequia Association
Lorentz Meats
Taos County Economic Development Corp
New York
Abundance Cooperative Market
CUNY Food Studies Collective
Farmshed CNY
Fresh Start Market
GardenShare
Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming
Hawthorn Valley Farm
Hunger Action Network of NYS
Isabahlia LOEF
Just Food
National Organic Coalition
National Young Farmers’ Coalition
NOFA Interstate Council
Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York
Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG)
Root & Roost Farm
School Food Focus National Office
Slow Food USA
SOLE of Buffalo
Small Scale Food Processors Association of New York
SNAP Gardens
North Carolina
Alleghany Farmers Market
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
Chatham Marketplace
Eastern Carolina Organics
Northeast Pasture Consortium
RAFI-USA
Tidal Creek Cooperative Food Market
Ohio
ACEnet
Alliance Farmers’ Market
Local Matters
Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association
Ohio Environmental Council
Slow Food Columbus
Oklahoma
The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Mvskoke Food Sovereignty Initiative
Norman Sustainability Network
Oklahoma Farm and Food Alliance
Sustainable Stillwater
Sustainable Tahlequah
Oregon
Adelante Mujeres
Central Oregon Food Policy Council
Central Oregon Locavore
Collaboration
Community Food Security Coalition
Demeter Association
Ecotrust
Eugene School Garden Project of Lane County
Friends of Family Farmers
Montavilla Farmers Market
Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides
Nuestra Communidad Sana
Oregon Farmers Markets Association
Oregon Rural Action
Oregon Tilth
Portland Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition (PACSAC)
Rogue Farm Corps
Rogue Valley Farm to School
Rural Organizing Project
Silverton Health/Wellspring Marketplace
Willamette Food & Farm Coalition
Pennsylvania
Clarion River Organics
Fay-Penn Economic Development Council
Fayette and Greene Chapter, Buy Fresh Buy Local
The Food Trust
Greater Lehigh Valley Chapter, Buy Fresh Buy Local
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA)
Rec Park Farmers Market
Rhode Island
Farm Fresh Rhode Island
South Dakota
Dakota Rural Action
Tennessee
Arugula’s Star of Neal Family Farms, L.P.
Community Food Advocates
Grow Memphis
Nashville Grown
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
Tennessee Alliance for Progress
Tennessee Obesity Taskforce/ Vanderbilt Institute for Obesity and Metabolism
Texas
CASA Del Llano
Food Policy Council of San Antonio
Sustainable Food Center
Texas A&M Health Science Center: College of Medicine: Holistic Medical Society
Texas Mexico Border Coalition CBO
Utah
Zion Harvest
Vermont
Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society
Intervale Community Farm
New England Farmers Union
Organic Trade Association
Putney Food Co-op
Quaker Earthcare Witness
Upper Valley Food Co-op
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers
Virginia
Appalachian Sustainable Development
Bean Hollow Organics
Farmers Market Coalition
Independence Farmers Market
River Valley Farm
Smart Markets, Inc.
Virginia Association for Biological Farming
Williamsburg Farmers Market
Wired Stone Designs
Washington
Chewelah Valley Fresh Market
Northwest Farm Bill Action Group
Salmon Creek Farmers’ Market
Seattle Farmers Market Association
Tilth Producers of Washington
Washington State Farmers Market Association
Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network
West Virginia
Heart and Hand House, Inc.
Manna Meal, Inc
Wisconsin
Abundant Garden Life
Crawford Stewardship Project
Edible Madison
Family Farm Defenders
Madison Area CSA Coalition
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Organic Valley
REAP Food Group
Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network
The Cornucopia Institute
The CSA Coalition
Valley Stewardship Network
Wisconsin Local Food Network
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