Subject: September Newsletter: Empowering Advocates & Producers 💪

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WELCOME TO OUR SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER!

Alexia Kulwiec

FTCLDF Executive Director

Hello, Friend!

I'm excited to share what Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund's been up to lately.

First of all: a heartfelt “Thank You” to all who donated to our Summer Fundraiser. We couldn’t make as great an impact on local food systems without your support!

Our legal team continues to be busy supporting on-farm poultry producers, as well as meat and dairy herdshares. We again are witnessing an increase in cases involving livestock guard dogs and are in the process of assisting online platforms ready to get local food into consumers’ hands!

As FTCLDF readers may recall, we have been supportive of Keely Farms Dairy. We have been hearing about other raw dairy producers struggling as well, and are committed to standing by them.

Read on for more detailed updates about a bill to decentralize meat production, educational resources on our website, new members on our board, and events where you can find us this fall. Thank you for reading!

In good health,

Alexia Kulwiec

Executive Director

Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund

GOOD NEWS FOR LOCAL MEAT

Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) have reintroduced the PRIME Act, which would dramatically reduce barriers for local producers and processors.

By legalizing in-state sales of locally produced, custom-slaughtered beef, pork, or lamb to consumers, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and grocery stores, the PRIME Act would open up sales avenues for independent producers and processors, decentralizing meat processing in the United States.

We’re monitoring the Act’s progress and will reach out when there is action to take. In the meantime, advocates can share our article on the PRIME Act and urge their legislators to co-sponsor the bill.

EMPOWERING ADVOCATES AND PRODUCERS

Opening Our Resources

Building resilient local food systems nationwide requires broad support: To create more viable pathways between producers and consumers, we must all push back against hyper-regulation and industry consolidation.

To empower more people to defend small producers’ rights and promote access to healthy, locally produced food, FTCLDF is opening many of our educational resources to the public.

In the "Resources" dropdown menu of our website, you'll find a wide array of topics: Ranching, Dairy & Herdshares, Policy (including our new Policy Tracker!), and much more.

Any time you want to review our legal primers, state-by-state maps, or other resources, you can head over to our website. We'll update these pages regularly as we develop new educational and advocacy resources — so stay tuned!

Member Benefits: Protection for You, Power for the Movement

We’ll still offer our members exclusive support, from quarterly educational webinars to direct access to legal consultation, representation, and work on policy changes.

Many legal challenges can be avoided with the right support early on. Our members have access to consultations before problems arise: essential to make informed decisions, protect their farms or food business, and avoid costly mistakes down the road.

At a fraction of what these services would normally cost, member dues pay for themselves in both peace of mind and practical guidance.

Please check out our post of Hot Tips for FTCLDF Members for the best ways to contact us for assistance!

Most importantly, our members are part of a community dedicated to building local food systems. Their ongoing support ensures we’re here when anyone needs us: whether that’s answering an urgent question, helping to navigate regulations, or standing by a producer’s side in a legal or regulatory challenge.

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MEET OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS

A note from FTCLDF's President, Peter Ruddock

One constant in the world is that things will change. This rule applies to boards of directors as well, of course.

I have been grateful to be part of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund board of directors for nearly 4 years now, and especially grateful to my colleagues, who are a great and dedicated group of folks.

I’d like to in particular thank Joe Ramagli and April Jones for their service to the FTCLDF board in recent years. They have stepped away to take on other adventures and we will miss them.

Among the things, though, to be grateful for is the community — family — that is FTCLDF: board, staff, and members. This means that we know many, many more dedicated folks, all across the country and with many perspectives on farm-to-consumer issues. And so, when we searched for new board members to complete our roster, we were given a great number of talented people to approach.

After some search and conversations, we have brought on two new board members. Please join me in welcoming Sarah Greenleaf and Therese Tuttle.

For her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University, Sarah Greenleaf published original research on the pollination of crops by wild native bees. Sarah founded Sunny Knoll EcoFarm with a mission of rare breed conservation, sustainable agriculture, conservation-compatible farming practices, and hyperlocal food production. For more than a decade, Sunny Knoll has provided grass-fed A2 milk to the local community.

Therese Tuttle brings more than 20 years of legal experience to our board. She has particularly focused on the law of cooperative corporations, including agricultural cooperatives. She serves as a board member of the California Center for Cooperative Development, and the Ecological Farming Association.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Come chat with the FTCLDF team at these upcoming events!

Common Ground | Unity, ME

September 19 - 21

Farm Aid | Minneapolis, MN

September 20

Oklahoma Homestead Rendezvous | McAlester, OK

September 26 - 27

Regenerate | Santa Fe, NM

November 5 - 7

That's all for this month! Feel free to reach out if you need anything, and as always, we appreciate your support.

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www.farmtoconsumer.org | 703-208-FARM (3276) | info@farmtoconsumer.org