Hi,

I’m Alex Bryan, farmer from Michigan. I work during the day at the Greater Lansing Food Bank and on the weekends on my farm in Detroit, Food Field. I spend my evenings on the board of National Young Farmers Coalition or the local food policy council, Food Systems Workgroup. In between I keep a couple community garden plots, and tore up the sod in my side yard in the city to grow a nice salsa garden and some cold frames. For a bit more about me and my background, check out a blog post I did for Beginningfarmers.org.

Over the years, I’ve realizing that to grow food, we must provide the proper environment for farmers to thrive. The farm in Detroit would not be where it is today without some loans provided through the USDA. The incubator farm and farmer training program, Lansing Roots, that I am starting for the food bank, would never had been borne if not for grant money through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. These major things in my life, and tens of other beginning farmer initiatives, would not exist but for National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC). The work we do on policy, on farmer collaboration, and on idea sharing makes it possible for thousands of young farmers to have a chance at success. And trust me, we need more farmers. (The average farmer is 57 years old…think about that for a second, 57!) The American farmer is going extinct.

So, you must be wondering, “what’s the pitch?” Well, here it is. I’ve been given an opportunity to go to Terra Madre, in Italy, to represent NYFC as a strategic partner in the U.S. This means I’m going to the most inclusive food conference on the world stage, representing an organization that is seen as needing to be represented and connected to countless groups and individuals doing great work with food. The trick is, I need your help to get there AND in supporting the work we do at NYFC.

If you can, please make a donation to help support this endeavor. All donations through this method are being tracked and pooled towards helping pay for my flight and other expenses.

Thanks, and I’m looking forward to presenting NYFC’s vision and energy to the world!