(Scroll Down For Information on the FARM BILL) There are a number of important policy organizations which work to promote sustainable agriculture, small farms, organic, and other issues important to many Beginning Farmers. They include (in no particular order):

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) was formed in 2008 as a merger of the National Sustainable Agriculture Campaign and Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. It is a national alliance of farm, rural development, and conservation groups that organized in 1988 to affect federal agriculture policy. NSAC member groups advance common positions to support small and mid-size family farms, protect natural resources, promote healthy rural communities, and provide nutritious and healthy food to consumers. By bringing grassroots perspectives to the table normally dominated by big business, NSAC levels the playing field and gives voice to sustainable and organic farmers.

NSAC’s vision of agriculture is one where a safe, nutritious, ample, and affordable food supply is produced by a legion of family farmers who make a decent living pursuing their trade, while protecting the environment, and contributing to the strength and stability of their communities.

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition:

• gathers input from sustainable and organic farmers and ranchers, and from a diverse group of grassroots farm, rural, and conservation organizations that work directly with farmers;
• develops policy through participatory issue committees that involve NSAC member organizations and allies;
• provides direct representation in Washington, D.C. on behalf of its membership to members of Congress and other federal administrative offices, such as USDA and EPA; and
• builds the power of the sustainable agriculture movement by strengthening the capacity of its member groups to promote citizen engagement in the policy process.

The Cornucopia Institute Whose mission is: Seeking economic justice for the family-scale farming community. Through research, advocacy, and economic development their goal is to empower farmers – partnered with consumers – in support of ecologically produced local, organic and authentic food.

The Center for Rural Affairs Established in 1973 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit by rural Nebraskans and has since grown to a nationally recognized policy analysis and advocacy organization focused on the upper Midwest and Great Plains. In recent years our national grassroots base has grown to nearly 30,000 individuals including people in all 50 states. Our mission is to establish strong rural communities, social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, and genuine opportunity for all while engaging people in decisions that affect the quality of their lives and the future of their communities. Our work includes:

• Advocating for federal policies supporting rural community development that reduces poverty, rewards resource stewardship, and strengthens small farms and businesses. In the recent farm bill, the Center won funding for a new microenteprise program to serve low and moderate income rural communities.
• Providing loans, technical assistance and training to small entrepreneurs through our Rural Enterprise Assistance Program (REAP), the nation’s leading statewide rural microenterprise development program.
• Providing comprehensive rural community development services.
• Developing new cooperatives to reach and expand premium markets that reward sustainable agriculture, strengthen family farms, and open the doors of opportunity to beginning farmers.

The Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) USA which cultivates markets, policies and communities that support thriving, socially just and environmentally sound family farms.

While focusing on North Carolina and the southeastern United States, they also work nationally and internationally. RAFI is creating a movement among farm, environmental and consumer groups to ensure that:

• family farmers have the power to earn a fair and dependable income;
• everyone who labors in agriculture is respected, protected, and valued by society;
• air, water and soil are preserved for future generations;
• the land yields healthy and abundant food and fiber that is accessible to all members of society;
• the full diversity of seeds and breeds, the building blocks of agriculture, are reinvigorated and publicly protected.

Farm Aid provides a number of different programs to support family farmers. You can also visit their Take Action Page to learn more about how to make your voice heard.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The OCA deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, children’s health, corporate accountability, Fair Trade, environmental sustainability and other key topics. We are the only organization in the US focused exclusively on promoting the views and interests of the nation’s estimated 50 million organic and socially responsible consumers.

The OCA represents over 850,000 members, subscribers and volunteers, including several thousand businesses in the natural foods and organic marketplace. Our US and international policy board is broadly representative of the organic, family farm, environmental, and public interest community.

The Union of Concerned Scientists is an important activism and information site with lots of issues related to food and farming. It is also a great organization.

GRAIN ‘is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their stuggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems.

The National Family Farm Coalition represents a number of rural development and family farming organizations on the national level to promote the goal of ‘securing a sustainable, economically just, healthy, safe and secure food and farm system‘.

Mulch is the Environmental Working Group’s Farm Policy Blog.

Defenders of Wildlife publishes a brochure with an overview of the  Healthy Farms, Food, and Fuels Act of 2007

FarmPolicy.com ‘is a daily summary of news relating to U.S. farm policy. Updates highlight news items dealing with the U.S. and global agricultural economy, including the Farm Bill, production agriculture, trade, biofuels and crop insurance’.

1000 Friends of Maryland is a great organization whose mission is to: ‘Preserve the rich array of our natural resources; Maintain and revitalize our existing communities; Protect historic resources and integrate them into the life of the community; Assure efficient, effective transportation choices for all citizens; Support development which takes into account the public’s interest; and Fully realize the goals of smart growth.’ They are also launching an exciting new Farmland Preservation Initiative.

THE FARM BILL:

In June of 2008, a new U.S. Farm Bill was signed into law. The current Farm Bill is one of the largest and most far-reaching pieces of legislation ever enacted.

The Center for Rural Affars has developed an excellent Overview of the Current Farm Bill which explains many of the important issues it addresses.

Among other things, the bill includes important provisions for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers including a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program; a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Individual Development Accounts Pilot Program; and Beginning Farmer or Rancher and Socially Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher Contract Land Program

An excellent Summany of the Gains for Organic Agriculture in the bill has been produced by the National Organic Coalition.

Here is a great summary paper on Green Payments in the Farm Bill

The complete text of the Farm Bill can be found HERE.