On February 12, 2025, Farm Aid took part in the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s (NSAC) annual Lobby Day in Washington, DC. Farm Aid took to Capitol Hill along with other coalition members and farmers from around the country. Altogether, NSAC’s Lobby Day included 130 visits to the legislative offices of 32 states. NSAC members met with leaders and members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees as well as members of the Senate Appropriations Committee and other offices. The purpose of these meetings was to bring attention to the major harms that farmers, organizations and communities are feeling from the federal funding freeze, as well as to advocate for upcoming coalition priorities for appropriations (the federal budget) and the farm bill.
Farm Aid supported the attendance of four farmer advocates who joined us to lobby legislators: Denise and DeAnthony Jamerson of Legacy Taste of the Garden Farm from Princeton, IN, and Omowale Adewale and Nadai Muyeeb-Adewale of Liberation Farm from Chester, NY.
Farm Aid works to elevate the voices of family farmers and provide them with tools and opportunities to tell their stories to their representatives; we’re proud to advocate with and for family farmers.
Liberation Farm farmers took part in a delegation of farmers who met with Congressman Josh Riley (D-NY-19) and the offices of Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Liberation Farm is a family-owned and operated organic farm providing fresh produce to their local community. In 2024, Liberation Farm appealed a USDA Farm Service Agency’s rejection of their farm loan, which they were denied due to discrimination. Since winning that appeals process, Liberation Farm have been vocal advocates for FSA reform and in calling attention to the ways in which our agriculture policy and institutions fail Black farmers.
Legacy Taste of the Garden Farm farmers met with the offices of Congressman Mark Messmer (R-IN-8), Senator Jim Banks (R-IN), and Senator Todd Young (R-IN). DeAnthony and Denise Jamerson are fifth and sixth generation farmers, respectively, farming on land their family has cultivated since the Civil War. They advocated for the importance of continuing to fund conservation programs and programs that support diversified farmers, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Local Agriculture Market Program.
Farm Aid also met with Senator Reed (D-RI) and the office of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1) to advocate for the importance of funding conservation programs and other programs that benefit family farmers in the farm bill and upcoming appropriations process. Many of the conservation programs that Farm Aid advocates for are funded through the Inflation Reduction Act and have been frozen (limited funds have been released as of February 26, 2025)
Farm Aid works to elevate the voices of family farmers and provide them with tools and opportunities to tell their stories to their representatives; we’re proud to advocate with and for family farmers.
Read more about Legacy Taste of the Garden
