Is supporting your local farmer, visiting your farmers market, CSA, food coop, or other local food source important to you? What about having fresh, local food for your child’s school meals? Or as a farmer or rancher, do you want to figure out ways to add value to your food products to capitalize on sales in your community? We have a groundbreaking opportunity for you to support local farmers and ranchers and to ensure your local food system continues to grow.
In the coming days, we will be joining members of Congress and other farm and food advocates in introducing the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act!
The goal of the bill is to advance the development of local and regional farm and food systems from farm to table. Local food systems not only hold potential for connecting consumers with where their food comes from, but also for boosting farm income, stimulating job creation and economic development, and meeting public health and nutrition goals.
The bill will address the needs of consumers in accessing food from their local communities and the needs of farmers and ranchers producing for local and regional markets, including infrastructure and processing capabilities. While there are growing “relocalization” efforts and local food economies are expanding across the nation, policy reforms are needed to overcome barriers and more fully capitalize on the new farming opportunities, jobs, and economic growth this sector can deliver.
This what many people in my area have been working for. our schools need this extra help to have better food and support our farmers.