Dear Friend,
The COVID veil is starting to lift: we’re excited to see you at upcoming events, both live and in person! If you receive our communications but have not joined as a member, now is really the time. We have a couple of tickets to the Home-Based Food Entrepreneur Virtual Conference to give away to members, and an exciting members’ only webinar planned for April in which we will discuss the challenges to urban agriculture. More important than these opportunities, however, is the importance of coming together to work towards a more stable, fair, and sustainable food system. COVID-19 brought attention to the vulnerability of the U.S. food system that has existed for years: small food producers face challenging regulations, vegetable growers must adhere to increasingly onerous reporting requirements, and livestock producers cannot gain access to processing plants to sell the meat from their animals. And don’t get us started on the regulation of raw dairy.
As you know, FTCLDF provides needed legal representation to our members by navigating through the regulatory challenges and working to change policy where possible. We can not do this without your help. Even if you are not a farmer or food producer who anticipates the potential need for legal assistance, your membership is vital. Membership of all those who desire to see a more fair and just food system helps fund the legal and policy support that FTCLDF provides. As a community we seek food sovereignty and to change the policy that favors large industrial agriculture and punishes the family farm.
That being said, we are planning for 2021 events, some of which make joining today a great time. First we have the Home-Based Food Entrepreneur National Virtual Conference happening next month, April 6-9! I will be the keynote speaker on Friday, April 9 and will explore the opportunities for small farmers and food producers in light of COVID-19, and more. Tickets to this all-digital conference are super affordable at just $20. We have three tickets to share so members who contact Amelia@farmtoconsumer.org by March 29 will be entered into the chance drawing to get a free ticket to this virtual event. You must be a current member to win a ticket.
On April 10, we will exhibit in Winchester, Virginia for the Weston A. Price Foundation’s one-day seminar featuring Sally Fallon Morell and Joel Salatin. This will be one of the first in person events in a while and we are excited to be there—come join us!
Then, on April 15, we have our live members-only webinar on urban agriculture and zoning issues featuring homesteader member Aja Yasir and FTCLDF attorney Suzy Israel. We will discuss the regulatory challenges to urban agriculture and specifically highlight FTCLDF member Aja Yasir and her fight against authorities in Gary, Indiana.
We’ll also be at Rogue Food Conferences on June 4 in Lewisburg, Tennessee and August 14 at Polyface in Virginia.
We look forward to Mother Earth News Fairs in September and October and the Homesteaders of America Conference in October.
See all of our upcoming events at www.farmtoconsumer.org/events
Thanks for being a part of this food freedom community. If you are not a member, now is the time to join or renew!
In good health,
Alexia Kulwiec
Executive Director
|
|
