Young farmers in Iowa spent a day advocating for local food systems funding during the Iowa Food System Coalition’s Farm and Food Day on the Hill. The Eastern Iowa Young Farmers Chapter tabled in the rotunda, kicking off the new year with the goal of reigniting their policy and advocacy work for the first time since 2019. 60+ Iowa Food System Coalition members were in attendance and spoke with 22 state legislators throughout the day. Participants educated lawmakers on the benefits of continuing funding for Farm to School programs, local fruit and vegetable processing, SNAP benefit expansion, local food marketing, and investments in grocery stores serving marginalized communities. 

Young Farmers Land Fellow Mari Hunt-Wassink owns and operates Black Earth Gardens in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she grows vegetables, herbs and fruits that are culturally relevant to the Black and African diaspora communities of eastern Iowa. She has been advocating with the Young Farmer’s Land Advocacy Fellowship to allocate land access monies to young and BIPOC farmers in the upcoming farm bill. Mari lobbied in support of the Iowa Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) programs, which increased her farm’s revenue by almost 30 percent in 2023, improving the sustainability of her business significantly.

After lobbying at the state level, Mari shared, “I am excited to continue to advocate at both the state and federal levels for a more just food system and for the interests of beginning and BIPOC farmers. Every time I engage with legislators, I am surprised and encouraged to realize I have a meaningful voice in the legislative process, especially when I collaborate with and join forces with other people with similar passions.”

Are you interested in advocating for equitable land access? Learn how you can get involved in shaping the upcoming farm bill by visiting our Farm Bill Action Center.