Dear Friend,
We at Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) know the past twelve months have been demanding and that you have been working harder than ever. Thanks to your membership and support in this challenging year, FTCLDF has not only survived a difficult time, but has improved its services and strategies to assist farmers, food producers, and consumers. It is our sincere hope that with the recent challenges comes the return to a decentralized food system and increased farm-to-consumer sales. Now is the time to strengthen FTCLDF!
Your support helps us to keep fighting for all farmers, homesteaders, artisan food producers and consumers of all backgrounds.
Members’ legal needs have increased as members struggled to deal with how COVID-19 and related policies impacted their farms and communities. In response, we have:
- Provided top-notch legal services through nearly 3,000 interactions with members, donors, and stakeholders;
- Protected our members through milk and meat share agreements and increased legal consultation;
- Defended our members in litigation regarding livestock guard dogs, farm inspections, agency confiscation of products, attempts to close members’ businesses, and alleged land use and zoning violations; and
- Impacted the larger community by successful litigation of a case for a Michigan member which led to improved site regulation of livestock facilities benefitting independent farms throughout the state.
In Kansas, we continued to address restrictions on the sale of raw milk at the state level and stood with members to protect on-farm sales of raw milk in the state.
In Wyoming, FTCLDF Board Member and Representative Tyler Lindholm ensured passage of the WY 2020 meat share amendment, leading to increased requests for meat share agreements from FTCLDF members.
We continue to litigate the FDA’s ban on the interstate sale of raw butter and push for the passage of the PRIME Act, which would allow for increased use of custom slaughter facilities.
We are always improving services and resources, including adding free member-only webinars on farming law, marketing, poultry processing, the safety of raw butter, and much more. Look for our list of hosts and additional resources available soon on our website.
Now is the time! Consumers and government alike learned this year that the industrial food system is extremely vulnerable. Beyond helping FTCLDF members, your donation supports our efforts to educate lawmakers and the public about the need to lift the burden of undue regulation from all small farmers, ranchers, and artisan producers, and helps us move toward a more sustainable food system.
Please donate today!
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Joe Ramagli, Board President and Alexia Kulwiec, Executive Director
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