 |
Is supporting your local farmer by visiting your farmers market, CSA, food coop, or other local food source important to you?
Well, this is an exceptional opportunity to make sure your local farmers have the resources they need to continue to grow the local food economy.
All you have to do is write a short note today – and you can make a big difference for local and regional food systems all across this country.
The Farm Credit Administration (FCA) is asking the public to comment on a proposed rule that, if adopted, would direct Farm Credit System lending associations to be more responsive to the credit needs of small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers producing for local and regional food markets.
The Farm Credit Administration is the federally chartered agency that oversees the nationwide network of locally-controlled and borrower-owned cooperative lending associations that make up the Farm Credit System (FCS). FCS supplies nearly 40% of all U.S. farm financing and has the capacity to provide millions of dollars in capital and technical assistance to local food producers, and to leverage other sources of capital for the task of rebuilding our local and regional food system infrastructure.
Thank you for taking action for our local food sources!
shared
Please help small, independent farmers survive & compete financially against corporate farms. The former are generally more focused on food quality, which is better for everyone. Also important is the fact that local production puts less pressure on our environment than industrial farming.
Here in Florida you can get the most delicious oranges, yet you often see them in the stores from California. Think of the pollution caused by trucking them 3,000 miles!
I am the founder and president of Irv & Shelly’s Fresh Picks in Chicago. We have generated millions of dollars in sales, and created jobs for our regional economy. These dollars stay and recirculate in our communities, creating more employment through the multiplier effect.
Specialty crop production is labor intensive and creates jobs. Small businesses employ the majority of Americans. We believe that greater engagement with local food producers and small businesses by Farm Credit is the quickest and most effective job creation strategy available and will help strengthen agriculture and rural communities.
What’s healthy for the environment happens to also be healthy for people and animals. Small family farms, producing for their local area, are delivering WONDERFUL fresh veggies, fruit, meat, and milk products, like the produce that was so beautiful at the farmers market in Falls Church, VA, which I visited this past weekend. Please see that adequate loan funding is made available to keep these people producing bountiful fresh crops, meat and milk for their communities. Doing so will also protect soil, water, and air. I’m very concerned about the pollution and huge waste streams caused by gigantic industrial farms and CAFOs. Amen for the smaller local farms!