Release: Farmers Advance Sustainable Agriculture Priorities During NSAC Lobby Day

For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Release: Farmers Advance Sustainable Agriculture Priorities During NSAC Lobby Day Washington, DC, July 21, 2026 – Today, nearly 40 farmers, ranchers, and agriculture stakeholders participated in a National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) Lobby Day. Farmers from 12 states – California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin – and a wide array of production types and farm sizes met virtually with policymakers to share firsthand accounts of how they are leveraging federal programs to build thriving farm businesses and feed their communities. The farmer visits come as Congress weighs a new farm bill, emergency farm assistance, and fiscal year (FY) 2027 agriculture appropriations. “With all of the turmoil around the Farm Bill, last year’s contract freezes, and FSA/NRCS staff cuts here in Maine, I was glad to be able to have a conversation with the Senator’s staff and know we were being heard,” said Bill Pluecker of Begin Again Farm in Warren, Maine. “We know that DC is sending more money to shore up commodities while smaller farmers deal with increasing costs on our own. I felt reassured to know that the Senator’s staff was willing to hear our stories, take them back to Capitol Hill, and do their best to send support our way,” Pluecker added. “I want to believe that elected officials still consider their constituents’ experiences when making policy decisions, so I appreciate any opportunity to share my experiences as a small, beginning pig farmer. Senator Fetterman needs to know that there are pig farmers in Pennsylvania that support animal welfare standards and oppose the Save Our Bacon Act,” said Noah Erwin, the owner and operator of Dahps Farm in Perry County, PA. Participants emphasized the need for a farm bill that meets the moment by making long overdue, robust investments in farmers and their communities. Farmers are calling for renewed domestic market access through new investments in local and regional food procurement, an improved farm safety net that expands access to risk management tools for farms of all shapes and sizes, and investments that build resilience into farm businesses – from improving access to on-farm conservation programs and expanding public investment in agriculture research. If Congress is unable to approve a new, bipartisan farm bill this year, it is essential to build these critical long-term farm investments into the emergency farm assistance package. “The farmers in the meetings I attended said it loud and clear: they deserve better. Each of them is navigating a unique set of issues that constantly threaten their livelihoods. I am inspired by their resilience and by their commitment to advocacy not only for themselves but for every small, diversified, beginning, and BIPOC farmer around the country who has been systematically excluded from federal programs. Today, I hope that the Senate heard them,” said Tyler Edwards, NSAC Grassroots Coordinator. “We believe our country is unified in its belief that farmers are vital to our collective well-being. Helping to amplify their lived experiences to larger audiences, including elected officials, is so important to remind everyone of the need to support their work. We need policy that is firmly grounded in farmers’ lived experiences. Thank you to NSAC for bridging our farm community and political leadership,” said Jennifer New, Communications and Policy Manager at Marbleseed, an NSAC member organization. NSAC has been a leader in agricultural policy for more than 35 years and has been instrumental in helping to develop some of our nation’s most successful agricultural programs for conserving natural resources, advancing the next generation of farmers, supporting agricultural research, and creating sustainable market connections. NSAC is grateful to all of the farmers and advocates for taking time out of their busy lives to join this Lobby Day, as well as the Senators and Hill staff who took the time to listen, engage, and discuss the policy priorities that matter most to farmers and rural communities. ### About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net Leave a Reply