US 2012 Farm Bill - Call to Action

[Future Harvest - CASA]

From Wes Hannah, an organizer with the National Young Farmers'
Coalition:


"The summer's transition into fall not only brings a new slate of CSA
goodies, but also a new development in the creation of the latest US
Farm Bill. While federal agricultural policies aren't usually
connected to the everyday operations of the CSA community, we feel
that this issue is worthy of your attention.

Congress is right in the middle of putting together a new Farm Bill,
since the last one expires at the end of this month. Although it's
looking unlikely that a complete bill will be finished any time soon,
there is a lot of talk about slashing different programs, and we want
to speak up to save one in particular, the very successfulBeginning
Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

The BFRDP, which provides funding for business and technical training
programs for farmers and ranchers, is at risk of losing funding, which
would be a tremendous loss for American farming. Since it received
funding in 2008, this program has supported 145 different training
programs, from apprenticeship programs in Illinois to legal aid for
farmers in Nebraska, and it is widely considered one of the USDA's
most successful programs.

We all care deeply about access to good, local food. Programs like the
BFRDP provide support for continuing the legacy of community-oriented
farms for the next generation of CSA farmers, and we want to see these
programs secure for the future. If you agree, we would encourage you
to sign this change.org petition: http://www.youngfarmers.org/save-the-bfrdp.
Together, we can ensure CSAs and other farms receive the support they
need to thrive."