CELEBRATING ONE YEAR OF YOUNG FARMERS’ ONE MILLION ACRES FOR THE FUTURE CAMPAIGN
Since launching our One Million Acres for the Future campaign in November 2021 with the support of Chipotle, the Young Farmers’ team has been working hard to build power for our farmer leaders and to change federal policy—and we have started to see this work pay off! After a year of organizing and advocating for policy change […]
The first federal grant program focused on land access is here!
On August 24, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $300 million in funding for projects that will increase land access for underserved farmers, including funding for innovative ways to connect available land to underserved producers who have challenges in accessing land, or restore lands into the hands of those who have been underserved. This […]
New York Times Feature: Young Farmers are losing land to wealthy buyers
This morning, the National Young Farmers’s Coalition’s One Million Acres for the Future campaign was featured in the New York Times. 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 […]
Chapter Capacity Grant Feature: West Michigan Young Farmers Chapter
This is the first installment in a blog series featuring the winners of our 2022 Muck Boot Chapter Capacity Grant program. The grant program awarded five Young Farmers chapters with $5,000 to compensate themselves for their organizing efforts or to cover expenses for a specific project, such as COVID-19 response efforts, racial equity trainings, or […]
Federal policy must support young and BIPOC farmers and ranchers leading the future of sustainable livestock management
On February 3rd, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture held a hearing on sustainability in the livestock sector. In a letter we sent to the Committee, we discussed the role the livestock industry can play in mitigating the impacts of climate change. Practices that sequester carbon in the soil and provide other ecosystem […]
Farm bill conservation programs need to be more accessible to young and BIPOC farmers
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture held a hearing to review current farm bill conservation programs in anticipation of the 2023 Farm Bill. We sent a letter to the Committee emphasizing the critical role conservation programs can play in addressing climate change and improving land access. Young and BIPOC farmers and ranchers […]
RELEASE: Young Farmers launches One Million Acres campaign to ask Congress to invest in equitable access to land in the 2023 Farm Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lytisha Wyatt, National Young Farmers Coalition press@youngfarmers.org Washington, D.C. (November 16, 2021) – The National Young Farmers Coalition (Young Farmers) is launching the One Million Acres campaign today to ask Congress to invest in equitable land access in the next farm bill. “Access to land is the number one challenge facing […]
Global and Local Solutions to Reaching Zero Hunger
On April 15th, Vanessa Garcia Polanco, Interim Federal Policy Director at Young Farmers, and Roberto Meza, Vice President of the board and co-founder of Emerald Gardens in Colorado, participated in a discussion hosted by the United Nations Association of North American on how to achieve the UN’s goal of Zero Hunger by 2030. Vanessa and […]
Unpacking Land Policy and What is Needed for a More Equitable Farming Future
This post originally appeared in the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)’s blog. NSAC is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities. Photo Credit: Stella Kalinina for the National Young Farmers Coalition This past year has highlighted the critically important […]
Young Farmers FY 2022 Appropriations Priorities
The National Young Farmers Coalition (“Young Farmers”) unites young farmers and ranchers to ensure a bright and equitable future for U.S. agriculture, and works with policymakers to address the most critical systemic barriers preventing motivated young people and people of color from building successful farming careers. Congress and the USDA have made important investments in […]