American Farmland Trust
Shannon FitzMaurice
As some of you know I work with Island County as a Public Health Nurse, but I am also helping to get our Food Systems Study and Plan up and running (keep an eye out for our Food Council application next month). One of the partners in our project is the American Farmland Trust. I respect their work more than maybe any other farming organization- Dani and Addie are working with our county to help fix the gaps in our ag policy. They are working on getting data for the Puget Sound Ag Viability study, and they will share their data with local governments to help with policy recommendations. I just took their survey and it takes about 10 min (more if you want to type a novel into the free-form boxes like I did...) This is from Dani:
Farmers support their communities by producing fresh food, supporting ecosystem services, and contributing to the local economy. However, the viability of agriculture is a deep challenge, as reflected in the most recent Census of Agriculture. To address these challenges, American Farmland Trust is conducting a survey of current, former, and aspiring farmers in the Puget Sound region to understand the needs and challenges they are facing. This survey will inform the development of a roadmap and action plan to address Puget Sound agricultural viability, along with a toolkit for county governments to better plan for and serve farmers in their communities. We are offering farmers a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card or “No Farms No Food” cap for their participation. The survey is available in English and Spanish. You can stay updated on this project by signing up on our website.
Feel free to share with other farmers. I hope everyone is doing well this season!
Shannon 🌞