The Young Farmers Podcast, a project of the National Young Farmers Coalition, is digging into the most critical issues facing the future of farming: land access, climate change, racial equity, water for the next generation, government access and accountability. This season, you’ll hear from policy makers, experts and advocates, and, of course, young farmers themselves, all fighting to make sure that the next Farm Bill does what we need it to do: supports the future of farming in the U.S. Listen in and find out how YOU can join the young farmer movement.
The nutrition title was first included in the 1973 farm bill. It’s projected to make up 84% of total Farm Bill spending, with most of the funds going to SNAP. That’s because the program helps more than 40 million low-income individuals provide food for their families each month. Some of those people are farmers. In this episode, we talk to Mark Nicholson, Senior Director of Policy at the Fair Food Network to dig into how the farm bill links farms and food access. And we’ll talk to farmers about how they are uniquely positioned to directly provide nutritious food for the families in their communities.
Mark Nicholson, Senior Director of Policy, Fair Food Network
Mark joined the Fair Food Network after an extensive career in leading organizations involved in national agriculture policy and specialty crop production. He is a third-generation apple farmer and spent much of his professional life co-running a New York-based family business, including developing value-added products to increase revenue to the farm. His work advocating for the specialty crop industry over the past two decades earned him national recognition as a skilled and dedicated policy expert, included roles as the Chairman of the Board and member of the Government Affairs Committee for the U.S. Apple Association (USApple). Mark also spent time in his early career working in government at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and at USApple. Mark brings multiple perspectives to the agriculture policy world, and a strong passion and understanding for the myriad issues that face family farms today. Read his full bio.
Shannon Maes, Rancher, San Juan Ranch + Young Farmers Water Fellow
What’s a ground-level view from a cattle ranch in southern Colorado as fall turns to winter amidst prolonged drought and as legislative work on the next Farm Bill wraps up? Shannon Maes shares some of her experiences of drought, working with water and grazing for soil health and climate resilience as well as a few thoughts on agricultural and food policy from her perspective of working on ranches and ditchriding in her home region of Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico. Shannon has worked in agriculture since 2017 and completed a Water Advocacy Fellowship through the National Young Farmer’s Coalition during 2023. Currently she works with cows, dogs, horses, people, soil, grass, and weather at San Juan Ranch in the San Luis Valley.
Benu Amun-Ra, Farmer and Owner, Sacred Ancestors Seed Initiative + Young Farmers Land Fellow
Benu Amun-Ra (We/Our/Ours) is a generational farmer, seed-keeper, and the owner of S.A.S.I (Sacred Ancestors Seed Initiative) Farms located in Centennial, CO. We teach about the importance of seeds and the reciprocal relationships we once had with Mother Nature by reinvigorating indigenous ways of knowing. We live at the intersections of being a single mother, a BIPOC farmer, LGBTQ+ community member and have over 32 years’ experience as a primary caregiver for those living with disabilities. Our advocacy includes working with organizations that address these issues in the capacity of a Community Council member for Hunger Free Colorado, an alumnus of the Family Voice Council for the Colorado Department of Human Services, an alumnus of the Creative Leadership Institute with the Colorado Health Foundation, and as a Land Fellow with the National Young Farmers Coalition. Read our full bio here. To find out more about our work, visit: www.sacredecocenter.org
Celina Ngozi, Farmer and Founder, Dry Bones Heal Bottomland + Young Farmers Land Fellow
Celina Ngozi is an agrarian of 10 years. Her experience in food production, access, and distribution has led her back to her maternal ancestral land in rural East Central Texas. There she grows a variety of herbs and culturally relevant foods along with advocating for returning to heirs’ property and greater land access for Black and Brown growers.
Learn more about the SNAP program here, the Healthy Food Finance Initiative here, and the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) here
Check out Fair Food Network here
Learn more about the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program here
The Farm Report is hosted by Leigh Ollman and Alita Kelly, produced by Leigh Ollman, Evan Flom and H Conley, and edited by Hannah Beal and H Conley.
Audio engineering is by Armen Spendjian and H Conley. Music is by Breakmaster Cylinder and Jangwa
Learn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here and consider becoming a member. Click here to take action on the farm bill and other important policy issues.
The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.
Farmers are now dealing with the impacts of the climate crisis on a daily basis. Experts predict weather events including droughts and flooding will only get worse. Young and beginning farmers, especially BIPOC farmers, are feeling those impacts the most. Are there opportunities to advance water and climate action and justice through the Farm Bill? We interview Abi Fain, Chief Legal and Policy Officer at the Intertribal Ag Council. And we’ll talk to young farmers building solutions to address water access and climate issues.
Abi Fain, Chief Legal & Policy Officer, Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC)
Abi works with her colleagues at IAC to develop and implement education and advocacy strategies that support the policy priorities identified by IAC’s member Tribes and advance IAC’s overall mission of pursuing and promoting the conservation, development and use of Tribal agriculture resources for the betterment of Tribal people. To this, Abi and IAC’s policy team focus their efforts on ensuring Tribal producers have opportunities to meaningfully participate in programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs through administrative or legislative solutions. Prior to joining IAC in May 2022, Abi practiced law for seven years at Pipestem Law and specialized in the representation of tribal governments, tribal enterprises, and Native organizations. Abi is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Susan Mitchell, Owner and Operator, Cloverleigh Farms + Young Farmers Land Fellow
Susan Mitchell is the owner/operator of Cloverleigh Farm in Columbia, CT. As a first-generation farmer, she grows certified organic vegetables, herbs, and flowers for a robust CSA program alongside her partner Josh Carnes, who raises pastured-livestock. They landed on their “forever farm” a few years ago after leasing land for many years while searching for long-term tenure and security. Susan is one of the co-founders of the New Connecticut Farmer Alliance, the Connecticut Chapter of Young Farmers.
Matt Hollenbeck, Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill + Young Farmers Land Fellow
Matt Hollenbeck lives and farms in Virgil, NY and is the 4th generation steward of Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill. He has been a factory worker, cubicle jockey, geologist, outdoor adventure guide, worked on a small organic csa farm, a butcher shop, and many other varied jobs before settling into continuing his family’s 90+ year old ag processing business. He’s a first generation orchardist with impostor syndrome, a staunch and vocal advocate for rural issues, smallholder agriculture, and appropriate technology. Matt is also a firm believer that family is the most important part of a family business. And a luddite to boot!
LeVar Eady, CEO and Founder, BluRok Farms + Young Farmers Water Fellow
BluRok Farm was born out of LeVar’s determination to grow the best hemp/cannabis possible while building a business that helps people become business owners and heal the planet. His path started in the garden where I learned to grow roses with his grandmother. Visit BluRok Farms at https://blurokfarm.com/.
Shannon Maes, Rancher, San Juan Ranch + Young Farmers Water Fellow
What’s a ground-level view from a cattle ranch in southern Colorado as fall turns to winter amidst prolonged drought and as legislative work on Farm Bill 2024 wraps up? Shannon Maes shares some of her experiences of drought, working with water and grazing for soil health and climate resilience as well as a few thoughts on agricultural and food policy from her perspective of working on ranches and ditchriding in her home region of Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico. Shannon has worked in agriculture since 2017 and completed a Water Advocacy Fellowship through the National Young Farmer’s Coalition during 2023. Currently she works with cows, dogs, horses, people, soil, grass, and weather at San Juan Ranch in the San Luis Valley.
Check out the Intertribal Agriculture Council here
Learn more about the USDA’s EQIP program here and the crop insurance agent training program Abi mentions here
More information about the Small Farms Conservation Act and the Farmer to Farmer Education Act can be found here and here
Connect with the farmers featured in this episode. Visit Cloverleigh Farm, Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill, San Juan Ranch, and BluRok Farm
The Farm Report is hosted by Leigh Ollman and Alita Kelly, produced by Leigh Ollman, Evan Flom and H Conley, and edited by Hannah Beal and H Conley.
Audio engineering is by Armen Spendjian and H Conley. Music is by Breakmaster Cylinder and Jangwa
Learn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here and consider becoming a member.
Click here to take action on the farm bill and other important policy issues.
The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.
Why should our next generation of farmers – and just about everyone who eats – care about the Farm Bill? Celize Christy, an Organizer at HEAL Food Alliance explains the basic details on what’s in the legislation, how it gets written, and how it impacts you. Then, Young Farmers’ Policy Campaigns Co-Director Vanessa Garcia Polanco lays out the path forward in terms of the most important issues this time around. And we talk to farmers KD Randall and Matt Hollenbeck about what they need from their policymakers in D.C.
Celize Christy, Organizer, HEAL Food Alliance
As an Organizer at HEAL Food Alliance, Celize facilitates connections among members, campaigns, and programs building collective power through HEAL’s multi-sector, multi-racial coalition. Celize comes to HEAL’s campaign and policy work by coordinating farmer-led education programming, advocating for BIPOC farmers in Iowa, and coalition building and organizing with sustainable agriculture organizations. At HEAL, Celize isn’t just an organizer; she’s a passionate agent of change, weaving connections and networks that celebrate the multifaceted voices of our food and farm systems. Read her full bio.
Vanessa García Polanco, Policy Campaigns Co-Director, National Young Farmers Coalition
Vanessa García Polanco co-designs the strategy and implementation of Young Farmers’ policy campaigns, ensuring we are pursuing and advocating for equity-driven, farmer-centric research, policy, and programmatic interventions. She serves as the organizational council member and co-chair of the Farming Opportunities & Fair Competition Committee of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. She has previously worked with Food Solutions New England, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems, University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension, and the Executive Office of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. She is an alumna of Michigan State University and the University of Rhode Island. She is a James Beard Foundation Scholar, AFHVS Innovation Leader, and an Emerging Leader in Food and Agriculture. As an Afro-Dominican immigrant, she brings her experiences and identities to her policy and advocacy activities.
KD Randall, Farmer, Home Grown Farm + Young Farmers Land Fellow
KD is a returning generation farmer who developed a deep appreciation for the land and the ways that it constantly care for us. Inspired by the stories of their family, KD decided to pursue a career in agriculture, determined to contribute to the legacy and sustainability of southern rural agriculture. Recently, KD’s work has focused on healing and fostering remembrance, reconnection, and growth in all of the places they call home, grounding in their southern rural agrarian roots. This passion has inspired them to create Home Grown Farms, a small rural farm that is still blooming into its first form. A component of KD’s long-term vision is to explore ways to offer a diversity of wellness experiences through food, recreation, and spiritual services.
Follow KD @farmerinthekells.
Matt Hollenbeck, Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill + Young Farmers Land Fellow
Matt Hollenbeck lives and farms in Virgil, NY, and is the 4th generation steward of Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill. He has been a factory worker, cubicle jockey, geologist, outdoor adventure guide, worked on a small organic CSA farm, a butcher shop, and many other varied jobs before settling into continuing his family’s 90+-year-old ag processing business. He’s a first-generation orchardist with impostor syndrome, a staunch and vocal advocate for rural issues, smallholder agriculture, and appropriate technology. Matt is also a firm believer that family is the most important part of a family business. And a Luddite to boot!
Check out HEAL Food Alliance’s farm bill priorities here.
Learn more about Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill here.
Follow KD Randle @farmerinthekells
Learn more about the USDA’s EQIP program here, and the NRCS program here.
The Farm Report is hosted by Leigh Ollman and Alita Kelly, produced by Leigh Ollman, Evan Flom and H Conley, and edited by Hannah Beal and H Conley.
Audio engineering is by Armen Spendjian and H Conley. Music in the original episode is by Breakmaster Cylinder and Jangwa
Learn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here and consider becoming a member. Click here to take action on the farm bill and other important policy issues.
The Farm Report was originally air by HRN and is Powered by Simplecast.
Join us for a special series of The Farm Report in collaboration with Heritage Radio Network that's all about The Farm Bill. Tune in to hear from farmers, policymakers, organizers, and food advocates about all the ways the farm bill directly impacts our lives - whether we realize it or not. We’ll break down farm policy and talk to young farmers about what hangs in the balance for them as another Farm Bill gets made. Join our coalition to shift power and change policy for the next generation of growers and land stewards. The future of good food depends on it.
The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.
Find episodes of the special series of The Farm Report as they air here.
This is the third episode of our 2023 Farm Bill series, digging into the farm policy that will affect the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
We’ve been asking how 1,000 pages of federal policy can provide tangible benefits and support to beginning and BIPOC farmers, our communities, and the environment. And in this episode, we're joined by Mario Holguin and Julieta Saucedo of La Semilla Food Center, and Ana Moran, Water Organizer at the National Young Farmers Coalition.
La Semilla Food Center, based in Anthony, New Mexico, has a mission “to foster a healthy, self-reliant, fair, and sustainable food system in the Paso del Norte region of southern New Mexico and El Paso, TX.” They do this work through a number of programs that Mario and Julieta discuss with Ana, including their Community Farm, farmer fellowships, policy and community development, and storytelling efforts.
Throughout their conversation Ana, Julieta, and Mario explore some of the ways that the 2023 Farm Bill can directly address the climate crisis, and what building climate resilience looks like across the Southwest. We know young farmers across the country are motivated by conservation and social justice. In our 2022 national survey 97% or respondents said their farm or ranch was using sustainable practices, and 86% identified their practices as being regenerative.
We end our episode today with a brief chat between Erin Foster-West, Policy Coordination and Management Director with the Coalition, and myself. Erin shares some exciting new bills recently introduced in Congress that would help small farms secure more accessible funding for conservation efforts and also support community support systems through farmer-to-farmer education opportunities.
Find the Young Farmers Action Center here.
Learn more about La Semilla Food Center here.
Learn more about the Farmer-to-Farmer Education Act here and take action and learn more about the Small Farm Conservation Act here.
Become a National Young Farmers Coalition member at youngfarmers.org/join for only $1/year.
Produced by Jessica Manly and Evan Flom.
Edited by Hannah Beal.
Original podcast art by SJ Brekosky.
Gratitude to Chipotle and 11th Hour for sponsoring our Young Farmers' land campaign and to the our many partner organizations for furthering this important work with us.
This is the second episode of a six-part series focused on the one thing everyone in our network – from farmers to policymakers, organizers to corporate partners – is laser-focused on right now: the 2023 Farm Bill.
In this episode, we're joined by Dãnia Davy, Director of Land Retention and Advocacy for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and Alita Kelly, Land Organizing Director at the National Young Farmers Coalition. Throughout our conversation we’ll explore some of the ways that the 2023 Farm Bill can directly address the land access crisis happening right now in the US.
We end our episode with Holly Rippon-Butler, Young Farmers Land Policy Director. Holly tells us why each and every one of us should be a land advocate, how young farmers are building powerful solutions to the land access crisis across the country, and a bit about what's next for our land policy priorities in the 2023 Farm Bill.
Sign up for our One Million Acres for the Future campaign here and take action by asking your Members of Congress to support the Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act.
Learn more about the Federation for Southern Cooperatives at www.federation.coop.
Learn more about the LASO Act here, and the Increasing Land, Capital, Market Access Program and its recent awardees here.
Become a National Young Farmers Coalition member at youngfarmers.org/join for only $1/year.
Produced by Jessica Manly and Evan Flom.
Edited by Hannah Beal.
Original podcast art by SJ Brekosky.
Gratitude to Chipotle and 11th Hour for sponsoring our Young Farmers' land campaign and to the our many partner organizations for furthering this important work with us.
This is the first episode of a new six-part series focused on the one thing everyone in our network – from farmers to policymakers, organizers to corporate partners – seems to be laser focused on right now: the 2023 Farm Bill.
We're joined by Billy Hackett, Policy Specialist for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), for a high-level overview of the farm bill. We know... 1,000 pages of federal policy, how exciting, right?! But we’re here to convince you that this bill is the most important piece of legislation shaping the future of food in this country, and that it affects all of us.
The farm bill influences what you eat every day, who grows your food and how they grow it, what food you can afford to buy, and even what you put in your gas tank. And we want you to know that you can help us make sure that this bill supports all of us–our families, our communities, and the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
Find all the resources that Jessica and Billy mentioned during their conversation on Young Farmers' 2023 Farm Bill webpage and sign-up for NSAC's weekly newsletter here.
Sign up for our One Million Acres for the Future campaign today by texting LAND to 40649 or by visiting p2a.co/land.
Become a National Young Farmers Coalition member at youngfarmers.org/join for only $1/year.
Produced by Jessica Manly and Evan Flom.
Edited by Hannah Beal.
Original podcast art by SJ Brekosky.
Access to affordable, quality farmland is the top challenge young farmers face, particularly BIPOC farmers, who today make up only 2% of farmland owners. Young Farmer's Land Campaign Director Holly Rippon-Butler talks with New York Times reporter Elizabeth Dunn about her recent article, “How ‘Fairy Tale’ Farms Are Ruining Hudson Valley Agriculture,” about the land access crisis and how the National Young Farmers Coalition is working to transition one million acres of farmland to the next generation of farmers.
The article, “How ‘Fairy Tale’ Farms Are Ruining Hudson Valley Agriculture,” illustrates how “a rush of wealthy urbanites seeking fresh-air retreats in bucolic settings” has made land access for young and BIPOC farmers across the country even more challenging. Read the article here.
You can hear Liz Dunn on her podcast Pressure Cooker with Liz Black here.
Today we're coming to you with a special episode from our Hoosier Young Farmers Chapter. The Hoosier chapter just released their own podcast series which shares the voices of farmers from across the state, farmers you might not think of when you picture the farmers of Indiana. This episode features stories about the challenge of acquiring affordable, quality land for farming, and some of the creative ways these farmers have managed to get on the land. You can listen to the rest of the Hoosier Young Farmer Podcast at hoosieryfc.org/stories.
Land access is the number 1 challenge young farmers across the country report in growing food for their communities and starting farm businesses. To address this barrier, Young Farmers just launched the One Million Acres for the Future Campaign. We are calling on Congress to invest $2.5 billion in the 2023 Farm Bill to facilitate equitable access to one million acres of land for the next generation of farmers. As part of the campaign, we created the Land Advocacy Fellowship, a two-year, paid advocacy and leadership fellowship that will resource 100 young farmers, growers, and land stewards to advocate for equitable land policy. Applications are open now through January 15th. To learn more about the campaign and to apply for our Land Advocacy Fellowship, visit youngfarmers.org/onemillionacres. And to join the National Young Farmers Coalition, visit youngfarmers.org/join.
*Brief correction to the land transition statistic Liz states in the introduction. She meant to cite this Civil Eats article which claims, "In the next decade, 400 million acres of U.S. farmland will change hands," instead of "400,000 acres." According to American Farmland Trust, “371 million acres of farmland will change hands over the next 20 years."
Jessica Manly talks with Equity and Organizational Change Director and Accountability Report author Michelle A. T. Hughes about what it means for the National Young Farmers Coalition to be accountable to its farmers, partners, and its racial equity commitments.
Read the report at www.youngfarmers.org/2020accountabilityreport and join us for our first accountability report webinar on Wednesday June 23, 2021 at 4pm by registering here.
Young Farmers Racial Equity Toolkit: https://www.youngfarmers.org/resource/racialequitytoolkit/.
Edited by Hannah Beal.
Michelle A. T. Hughes is a former large-scale hog farmer from New Haven, Connecticut with lived experience navigating systemic inequity and an educational background in food and agriculture policy reform. Prior to her graduate studies at New York University’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, Michelle worked in swine reproduction at the University of Pennsylvania, with both non-profit and food and agriculture start-ups in NYC and the Hudson Valley, and served on a program evaluation team for the NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy. At the Coalition, Michelle has worked on the equity and organizational change team since January 2020. Over the course of 2020, Michelle helped align our organization-wide efforts to institutionalize racial equity by implementing a strategy for organizational transformation. Michelle now works with executive leadership as Equity and Organizational Change Director to develop short- and long-term strategy to continue our anti-racist transformation, regularly evaluate and uphold accountability measures with staff, and develop practical tools and financial resources to support the organization’s racial equity goals.
Become a member of the National Young Farmers Coalition today at youngfarmers.org/join.