Faces of the Farm Bill

Meet some of the real life humans impacted by the Farm Bill. Plus, ten tips to improve your garden.

AuthorAuthor

Lena Beck & Modern Farmer
September 01, 2024

Hello! Lena here, staff writer at Modern Farmer.

The Farm Bill is a multi-billion-dollar package of legislation, passed every five years or so, that affects every part of the US food system.

As Congress works on passing the next hotly-debated Farm Bill, contributor Kelsey Betz reminds us of the very real impacts the bill has on life in the US with a series of short, as-told-to vignettes from farmers and food justice advocates in Mississippi.

In the series, your hear you’ll hear from Ya-Sin Shabazz of the Gulf Coast Sustainable Growers Alliance, Umi Jenkins of the Mississippi Farm to School Network, and Calvin Head of Milestone Cooperative Association, among others. In their own words, they share how past iterations of the Farm Bill have affected their communities, and what they hope for the future of the bill.

Through these as-told-to conversations, people from an array of cultures working in food justice explain how the impending Farm Bill has affected their community in the past, what they hope it will bring in the future, and what could happen if it falls short.

A collage of multiple images of people, many of whom are posing with food.

Also fresh this week

A luch green garden featuring raised beds overflowing with plants.

Photo: Shutterstock

Many factors can determine what succeeds and what fails in your garden. The good news: there are simple changes that will turn those failures into your best crop yet.

Ali Ghiorse at Greenwich Farmers' Market | Photo: Rebecca Poirier

Ali Ghiorse founded The Foodshed Network to encourage her neighbors to build a better food system.

A smiling young woman holds a bag of greens.

Fisheye Farms Apprentice Mona Ziabari | Photo: Mona Ziabari

The Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund is helping shape a sustainable food system by offering rare immersive apprenticeships and support to prospective farmers.

The Farm Bill is expansive. It impacts equity and access, climate-smart farming, animal welfare, internet access, discrimination in public lending, crop success, and crop failure—and the list goes on. What’s your Farm Bill story? I’d love to hear it. Email me! 

~ Lena

Weekly Action | Want to support a Farm Bill that’s good for family farmers, food workers, rural communities, and public health? Food & Water Watch has an action alert for that.

Hungry for more? Check out the Modern Farmer Solutions Hub for stories that feature progress and innovation from across the food system.