March 27, 2026
This February, I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Winter Meeting of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). Maddie Kempner, NOFA-VT’s Policy and Organizing Director, and I flew out of Burlington on a -13°F Monday morning in February and spent four days in Washington D.C. (it was a balmy 38°F one day, so we explored without coats!).
NOFA-VT is a member organization of NSAC, a vibrant coalition of farmer- and food-focused policy, advocacy, and farmer-serving organizations from across the country. NSAC works to advance federal policy reform in support of sustainable food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.
At the meeting, we met folks working on sustainable farming and food access initiatives from places like Kentucky, Idaho, and Alaska. We connected with organizers from Minnesota, fresh from the front lines of resisting ICE in the Twin Cities; flower farmers from California; pastured poultry farmers from Illinois; a vegetable grower from the Navajo Nation; and a mushroom farmer from Massachusetts—just to name a few.
We attended a full briefing by the wonderful NSAC staff about the docket of policy and advocacy issues they are currently working on, including:
- Reform and strengthen federal crop insurance and USDA disaster relief programs to keep farmers on the land.
- Expand federally-funded credit options to support more diverse farm operations.
- Protect and increase farmer participation in federally-funded school and supplemental nutrition programs, including SNAP reforms and Farm to School initiatives.
- Strengthen local supply chains through additional federal investments and support.
- Expand local and regional meat-processing programs so more farmers can meet the demand for sustainably raised local meat.
Next, we brushed up on our lobbying skills to prepare for meetings with our representatives on Capitol Hill. I practiced with other farmers—telling my personal stories, explaining how the issues affect our communities, outlining the consequences of inaction, and finally presenting a clear ask: “We would like you to support…” or “We need you to allocate funds for…”
With our skills, stories, and asks sharply honed, we headed to the Hill the next day. More than 150 meetings took place with NSAC members, including senators and representatives from 46 states, as well as with staff from various USDA branches, including the Food and Nutrition Service, Agricultural Marketing Service, Farm Service Agency, and Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Maddie and I met with staff from the offices of Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Becca Balint, along with Senator Peter Welch and his staff. It was empowering to share directly about some of the issues facing Vermont farmers. We discussed the skyrocketing cost of health care and its impact on farmers and farmworkers. I also shared my own family's experience this past December, when we had to make difficult choices about our own health insurance.
We raised concerns about increased ICE presence in our communities and on our farms, highlighting the constitutional and human rights issues, as well as the potential labor and economic impacts on Vermont farms.
At both our meetings with USDA staff and in our conversations with our congressional delegation, we emphasized the vital importance of the SNAP (EBT) program. Alongside rural and urban farmers and farm advocates from across the country, we spoke with USDA staff about how essential SNAP benefits are for bringing local, healthy food to underserved areas. Many farms and farmers markets, including ours, have faced challenges with both the authorization and reauthorization processes. Together, we called for a more streamlined and accessible system and increased staffing to speed up the authorization process.
It’s easy to get lost in the news, the doomscrolling, and our daily farm work, forgetting that we live in a democracy that we can and should participate in. This visit to Washington, D.C. served as a great reminder to continue showing up and speaking out.
