Washington, D.C. — The National Family Farm Coalition, Rural Vermont, the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, and Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (collectively, the “organizations”) have launched a week of action to advocate for the LOCAL FOODS Act of 2025, a bill that clarifies and protects longstanding on-farm slaughter practices.
The bipartisan and bicameral LOCAL Foods Act of 2025 was introduced in the Senate (S. 1212) by Senators Peter Welch [D-VT], Bernie Sanders [I-VT], Mike Lee [R-UT], and Martin Heinrich [D-NM]. It was introduced in the House (H.R. 5341) by Representative Eugene Vindman [D-VA], and co-sponsored by James R. Baird [R-IN], Michael Cloud [R-TX], Lauren Boebert [R-CO], and Suhas Subramanyam [D-VA].
The Act clarifies the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), to ensure that livestock owners can legally have their animals slaughtered on the farm by the person of their choice for their personal and household use. This clarification protects a safe and longstanding direct-to-consumer pathway that supports resilient local meat supply chains, sets clear rules for producers, and provides consumers with more food options.
The organizations represent and advocate for farmers, ranchers, homesteaders, small food business owners, and consumers across the United States who would benefit from more equitable, decentralized, and sustainable systems of food production and distribution.
By mobilizing their members and networks for this week of action, the organizations are seeking additional co-sponsors for the LOCAL Foods Act. Supporters can participate on social media and by encouraging their representatives to sign on to the legislation, using talking points provided by the organizations.
“Family farms often operate on razor-thin margins and cannot afford the hurdles presented by the consolidated meat processing industry. By protecting on-farm slaughter practices, the LOCAL Foods Act will help the bottom line for many small- and mid-size producers across the country, and in turn help to revitalize our rural and local economies,” shared the National Family Farm Coalition.
“Utilizing direct-to-consumer on-farm slaughter services relies on this clarification. In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron doctrine, meaning how courts might interpret the 2018 USDA guidance, which allows for on-farm slaughter, is questionable. Thousands of farmers and ranchers in the 27 states that utilize this practice are now in limbo until this aspect of the Right to Grow Food is enshrined in the letter of the law,” said Caroline Sherman Gordon, Legislative Director of Rural Vermont.
“People who choose to go to the farm and invest in a live animal because they specifically want the meat for their family to come from that farm should have the freedom to do so without unnecessary government regulations,” said Judith McGeary, Founder and Executive Director of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance. “And our farmers need clear statutory language that doesn’t change at the whim of each new Administration.”
“The LOCAL Foods Act keeps an essential market pathway open for farmers and ranchers while defending consumers’ freedom to buy the foods they want straight from the source,” said Christine Dzujna, Legal Services and Policy Manager of Farm-To-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. “This builds stronger, more self-reliant communities.”
