POLICY :: Farm Bill 2007

Fax a letter to the representative nearest you.

You may choose to write a letter in your own words to have the most impact. Or, if you don't have the time, feel free to use our sample letters.

Find your district or a district near you.

If you have the time, follow up with a phone call or email.

Sample letters for faxing key California Representatives

Cardoza (pdf)

Costa (pdf)

McCarthy (pdf)

Sample Fax

June 2007

Dear Representative ,

This is a critical year for our country’s food and farming system. As you consider proposals for the next Food and Farm Bill, I urge you to expand economic opportunities for small and midsized growers and beginning and minority farmers in California by fully funding programs that help expand local markets, support organic research and extension and provide necessary funding and investment for value added farm business development and local infrastructure needed to access new markets. This farm bill offers a great opportunity to link farmers’ needs for markets with nearby urban areas, including institutions, that want greater access to local, fresh and healthy food. I also urge you to expand funding for conservation programs, especially the Conservation Security Program that rewards farmers for practicing high levels of stewardship on their land.

As mark up on the Farm Bill continues, please support full and mandatory funding for the following programs that deliver important environmental, health and economic benefits for our state:

Help Farmers Protect the Environment by providing full, mandatory funding for the Conservation Security Program, establishing an Organic Conversion and Stewardship Program with adequate technical assistance within EQIP and significantly expanding mandatory funding for the Organic Farming Systems Research and Extension Initiative (CSREES).

Strengthen Local Economies and Economic Viability of Farms by significantly increase funding for Farmers Market Promotion Program, expanding the Value-Added Producer Grant Program; establishing Healthy Food Enterprise Program to provide loans and technical assistance for healthy foods infrastructure; and allowing the policy of geographic preferences for local food within all Federal purchasing and nutrition programs.

Improve Access to Healthy Food while supporting increased markets for small-scale farmers at the same time by providing mandatory funding and significantly expanding the Community Food Project Grant program; expanding the Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program and Farm to Cafeteria Program and expanding WIC and seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs.

Help build a new generation of entrepreneurial farmers by fully fund the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development and Outreach and Technical Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers programs.

Thank you for taking action to advance food and farm policies that will improve the physical and economic wellbeing of our cities and rural communities in California. I look forward to hearing from you about your position on these issues in the Farm Bill.

Sincerely,

Senator Fax

Feinstein and/or Boxer (pdf)

June 2007

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Fax: (202) 228-3954

The Honorable Barbara Boxer
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Fax: (415) 956-6701

Dear Senators Feinstein and Boxer,

This is a critical year for our country’s food and farming system. As you consider proposals for the next Food and Farm Bill, I urge you to expand economic opportunities for small and midsized growers and beginning and minority farmers in California and expand healthy food options for underserved communities by co-sponsoring the S. 1432, the Food for a healthy America Act that was introduced by Senators Brown (D- OH) and Clinton D-NY). I also urge you to expand funding for conservation programs, especially the Conservation Security Program that rewards farmers for practicing high levels of stewardship on their land.

Despite being the country’s major provider of fruits, nuts and vegetables, many California low-income communities are facing hunger and lack access to healthy foods. This lack of healthy food choices contributes to alarming rates of obesity and diet related diseases. This farm bill offers a great opportunity to link farmers’ needs for markets with nearby urban areas, including institutions like schools and hospitals, that want greater access to local, fresh and healthy food. As you consider Farm Bill proposals, I urge you to shift resources out of commodity payment programs and into programs that deliver greater environmental, health and economic benefits for our state. As mark up on the Farm Bill continues, please advocate for the following Farm Bill priorities:

Help Farmers Protect the Environment by providing full, mandatory funding for the Conservation Security Program, establishing an Organic Conversion and Stewardship Program with adequate technical assistance within EQIP and significantly expanding mandatory funding for the Organic Farming Systems Research and Extension Initiative (CSREES) and the Organic Certification Cost-Share Program

Strengthen Local Economies and Economic Viability of Farms by significantly increase funding for Farmers Market Promotion Program, expanding the Value-Added Producer Grant Program; establishing Healthy Food Enterprise Program to provide loans and technical assistance for healthy foods infrastructure; and allowing the policy of geographic preferences for local food within all Federal purchasing and nutrition programs.

Improve Access to Healthy Food while supporting increased markets for small-scale farmers at the same time by providing mandatory funding and significantly expanding the Community Food Project Grant program; expanding the Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program and Farm to Cafeteria Program and expanding WIC and seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs.

Help build a new generation of entrepreneurial farmers by fully funding the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development and Outreach and Technical Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers programs.

Thank you for taking action to advance food and farm policies that will improve the physical and economic wellbeing of our cities and rural communities in California. I look forward to hearing from you about your position on these issues in the Farm Bill.

Sincerely,

Links to Relevant Sites

For more information on the Farm Bill, visit California Coalition for Food & Farming