Greetings from Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF). We are so grateful to our supporters during this past year. As we get closer to summer, I am very excited to be planning in-person events and getting back out there with members and friends. But we are not out of the woods, and again seek financial support for the organization’s health. COVID-19 has presented challenges in doing the work of FTCLDF as well as maintaining the necessary funding to do so.
I have been reflecting a lot lately on the disconnect between increased consumer demand for local food and the regulatory system that makes this so difficult. Much has been said, written and published about how consumer demand for local sustainably produced food has increased since the onset of COVID-19. Many declare that local small farms and food producers are the answer! Just go buy the food from your local farmer, they say, to ensure access to healthier food, serve the local economy, and place less reliance on the global centralized food system.
Of course, this is true. Yet FTCLDF supporters understand how federal policies have driven small farmers out of business. You know how federal, state, and local policies make visiting your local farm much more challenging than it sounds. Yet in general, commentators do not explain the regulatory framework faced by small farms and food producers. This troubles me. While there has been some commentary in the media about consolidation in the meat processing industry and the problems with accessing USDA inspection plants, that’s about it.
So one of my current goals is to get the word out. Without educating consumers of the legal challenges faced by small farmers and food producers, it will remain difficult to make the needed changes. More consumers should understand the challenges that farmers face, such as counties requiring different licenses for every single farmers market, towns seeking to stifle livestock guard dogs while their communities demand sustainably grown meat, or counties requiring building permits despite state laws that exclude agricultural buildings from this requirement.
Small farmers also struggle to obtain the licenses needed to sell a few eggs, open a farm store, or sell from their homes. Production and sale of pasture-raised animals can be complicated. Farmers are having a hard time making appointments with USDA or state inspection facilities, yet are prohibited from selling the meat processed by more local and still regulated custom slaughter facilities. Small farms struggle with zoning ordinances addressing aesthetics, like those that preclude small vegetable farmers from using hoop houses to extend the growing season. The list goes on and on.
On June 10, 2021, FTCLDF is hosting a free webinar about the challenges that farmers face, as one step in getting the message out. Other steps include continuing to provide the legal representation needed, attending online and in-person events to reach more consumers, and increasing our educational resources.
We ask that you support these efforts. If you are a small farmer or food producer member interested in joining the webinar panel, please let me know. If you have contacts or access to others who may support our work, or who may be interested in learning more, please forward this email along.
If you sell local farm or food products or otherwise have a customer base, please consider sending or posting a communication explaining the challenges faced by small farms, the work of FTCLDF, and inviting them to the free June 10 webinar. Please see a sample letter to customers and sample social media images HERE if you are interested and willing to help spread the word. Thank you for any efforts you are willing to contribute.
Of course, please also consider making a financial contribution today* at www.farmtoconsumer.org/donate, or calling us at 703.208.FARM (3276).
We are so excited for this opportunity to support local farmers, artisan food producers, and homesteaders. To register for the June 10 webinar, click HERE. Please encourage your contacts to join FTCLDF Board members and myself for a lively discussion about the challenges facing farmers.
Thank you for working hard toward a better food system.
In good health,
Alexia Kulwiec
Executive Director
