This summer I witnessed the real power of family farmers and Farm Aid.
In August, Farm Aid convened a meeting of farm advocates from all over the country so that they could learn from each other how to best stand up for family farmers. Farm advocates come from all walks of life, but they all share the same goal: to keep family farmers on the land.
During the meeting, a farm advocate from Oklahoma stood to ask for help. Drought had burned farm fields and pastures, he said, and farmers had nothing left to feed their animals. Without rain and hay, their livestock would starve and farmers and ranchers would lose their livelihoods.
Right there and then, Wisconsin farmers pledged to donate their hay to Oklahoma farmers in need. Farm Aid helped to coordinate transportation and twelve days later the first trucks were rolling, filled with hay to feed starving livestock and hope to keep family farmers’ spirits alive.
What happened at that meeting is the essence of family farm agriculture, and the reason that Farm Aid exists. Family farmers are the cornerstone of strong communities—they take care of their neighbors, whether they live next door or states away. Farm Aid works to keep family farmers on the land because if we lose a family farmer, we lose a lot more than just a farm.
Please show your support for family farmers and Farm Aid with a gift today. Your gift enables us to grow and strengthen the network of farm advocates and to respond in times of emergency. It means together we can keep family farmers thriving, so that we can all thrive.
Sincerely,
Kari Williams
Director of Development
www.farmaid.org