NSAC's Blog
NSAC to host Ag of the Middle Briefing on June 8
May 11, 2010
Click here to forward on the invitation to colleagues.
On June 8, 2010, NSAC, Farm Aid, Organic Valley, and Heifer International US Country Program will host a congressional briefing on Agriculture of the Middle: New Strategies to Support America’s Mid-sized Family Farmers.
In recent decades, many mid-sized farmers and ranchers who rely on farming as a main source of income have been severely challenged in the marketplace. Too small to compete individually in international agricultural commodity markets, they are also not often well-positioned to market directly to local consumers. While the number of very small and very large farms and ranches has increased, mid-sized family farms continue to disappear. Arguably the backbone of America’s rural communities and economies, this loss of mid-sized family farms has a detrimental impact that extends well beyond the farm.
The briefing will be free and open to the public and will feature four producer-entrepreneurs discussing innovative business models and marketing approaches that are succeeding in creating new opportunities for mid-sized farmers in many parts of the country. They will also discuss ways in which existing federal programs can support these efforts by providing the research, credit, and infrastructure investments necessary to scale up and expand their models.
WHEN: June 8, 2010 | 2:00-3:00 pm
WHERE: Senate Agriculture Committee Room, Russell 328-A
To more information and to RSVP, reply to Jess Daniel, policyintern(at)sustainableagriculture.net.
Click here to forward on the invitation to colleagues.
Click here to access a PDF version of the invitation.
Categories: Competition & Anti-trust, Farm Bill, Local & Regional Food Systems, Rural Development