farmer’s

Climate Champions

Farmers and Advocates Push for a Greener Farm Bill

From March 6-8, 2023, RAFI-USA sta , board members, farmers, and advocates joined hundreds of other individuals and organizations who gathered in Washington, D.C. for the Farmers for Climate Action: Rally for Resilience, part of a mass mobilization calling on lawmakers to prioritize climate solutions in the 2023 Farm Bill. Participants hailed from 40 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The event started on Monday, March 6 with a kick-o meeting and reception during which farmers and farmworkers shared their stories about the negative e ects of the climate crisis on their farms and livelihoods. The next day, a chilly, windy Tuesday morning, kicked o with a Rally in Freedom Plaza, emceed by RAFI-USA’s Farmers of

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Color Network director B. Ray Je ers, also a farmer and a recently elected member of the North Carolina State House of Representatives. Two RAFI-USA board members also spoke at the rally: Norysell Massanet, a farmer and Agroforester/Educator with La Botica de la Tierra Farm in Puerto Rico and Helga GarciaGarza, Executive Director of Agri-Cultura Network and La Cosecha CSA in New Mexico. In addition to them and other formidable farmer and farmworker speakers, Farm Aid founding board member John Mellencamp, Durham, NC-based Shirlette Ammons, and local group Lil Idli performed. Participants then marched from Freedom Plaza to the Capitol.

Later that day, the group gathered again to receive training and prepare to visit their legislators, which happened Wednesday throughout the day. Rally participants attended more than 100 meetings with Congressional o ces on Capitol Hill to emphasize the need for a Farm Bill that invests in farmer-led climate solutions, advances racial justice, and prioritizes communities over corporations.

“I sincerely appreciate all of those who made time to join us in Washington to provide a united voice for farmers of color in the Southeast U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Organizations working on the ground directly with BIPOC farmers know what farmers need to adapt to climate change and grow their businesses and local food economies,” said Edna Rodriguez, RAFI-USA Executive Director. She continued, “Our goal with the Climate and Equity Policy Project is to ensure that these groups have the funding and resources they need to e ectively translate that experience into policy change in the Farm Bill.”

CTTT Conference Save the Date

Mark your calendars for the upcoming Come to the Table Conference scheduled for October 3-4, 2024. The NC location is yet to be announced. These biennial conferences have been bringing together individuals of faith, farmers, and community leaders since 2007 to address the challenges of food access in their communities.

Job Opportunities

We encourage you to keep an eye open for RAFI-USA job openings. If you have experience giving technical assistance, managing federal grants, providing training on market readiness, or helping farmers access new markets, there could be a position for you. Find jobs here: https://www. rafiusa.org/aboutus/jobs/

New Board Members

RAFI-USA welcomed four new Board of Directors members and a new Board staff representative in January 2023. The new members come from across U.S. states and the U.S. Caribbean and bring rich and diverse sets of experiences and skills.

DaraMonifah Cooper, Owner, Conch Shell Media, LLC, U.S. Virgin Islands

Norysell Massanet, Agroforester/Educator, La Botica de la Tierra, Puerto Rico

David Pflugfelder, Owner/ Livestock Farmer, CATHIS Farm, North Carolina

Sarah Sohn, Braiding Seeds Fellowship Co-Director, Soul Fire Farm, New York

Justine Post, Director of RAFI-USA’s Come to the Table program, Staff Representative

Did you know…

RAFI-USA submitted eight federal public comments in 2022?

RAFI-USA’s policy advocacy happens both through legislation (working with Congress to pass laws) and through implementation (working with agencies like USDA to ensure good regulations and that programs are administered equitably and well). Submitting public comments is one of the ways RAFI-USA takes administrative advocacy action.

Climate and Equity Policy Project

Climate and Equity Policy is a new project at RAFI-USA that puts farmers of color at the center of policy conversations by providing funding and support to groups predominantly led by or serving farmers of color to engage in climaterelated policy advocacy for the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill. This year, 14 BIPOC-led organizations were awarded grants to support their policy advocacy work. Visit our website for more information about each organization and their project.

Agri-Cultura Network (NM)*

Alliance for Agriculture (Puerto Rico)*

Cooperativa Orgánica Madre Tierra (Puerto Rico)*

Farm to School NYC (NY)

La Semilla Food Center (NM)

Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust/Food for the Spirit (NY/ME)*

Operation Grow Black Growers (MO)

Punjabi American Growers Group (CA)*

Salmonberry Tribal Associates (AK)

Soul Fire Farm (NY)*

Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education, Inc. (GA)*

SPROUT NOLA (LA)*

Toxic Free North Carolina (NC)*

Virgin Islands Good Food Coalition, Inc. (U.S. Virgin Islands)*

* Members of the starred organizations joined RAFI-USA for Farmers for Climate Action: Rally for Resilience.

Trainings and Webinars

RAFI-USA’s Farmers of Color Network will be hosting several webinars in 2023 as part of a series focused on increasing farm viability. The first webinar, “Farming is a Business,” was held in March and included information on taxes, business entities, filing a schedule F, and more.

Some recent recordings include:

BIPOC Farmer Panel: Stories on Navigating USDA Loan Process

Introduction to NRCS Programs (available in English and Spanish)

Introduction to FSA Loans

How and Why to Get a Farm Number

To receive notifications of webinars and other trainings join RAFI-USA’s E-News. Once a webinar is complete, a recording is uploaded to RAFI-USA’s website. See QR code above.

Mental Health Resources for Farmers

Farming is a stressful job. Not only is there a lot of responsibility and pressure to succeed, but also so many factors can exist outside of a farmer’s control. Production setbacks, market disruptions, legal concerns, or family issues can all add to feelings of stress. Fortunately, there are more and more services available to assist farmers with stress relief. Many states have specific funds to increase farmer mental health resources. We suggest doing a quick internet search for ‘(your state) farmer mental health resources’ or ‘(your state) farm stress resources’ to see what might be available in your immediate area.

The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network-North Carolina (FRSAN-NC) connects farmers/ranchers, farmworkers, families, and others working and living in agriculture-related settings with stress assistance programs and resources. Farmer resources include covering the costs of counseling or behavioral healthcare for NC farmers, farmworkers, and immediate family members, trained peer support from the farming community, and a 24/7 Help Line that connects individuals with a variety of resources. To learn more, call 844.325.3276 or email info@farmstress.org.

New USDA Emergency Relief Programs

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the USDA has announced two new disaster and pandemic assistance programs: Emergency Relief program Phase Two and Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program. Both programs will run through June 2, 2023. When applying for either program, producers will need to gather supporting documentation including Schedule F (Form 1040), Profit and Loss statements, or similar tax documents for the required calendar years. Other FSA standard forms will be requested.

Purpose

Eligible Commodities

Necessary Calculations for Application

Calculation Exclusions

If a farmer wishes to apply for either program, they should contact their local FSA office to confirm which forms they need to complete. In the case of ERP Phase 2, a ‘qualifying disaster event’ must also be confirmed.

Read below for a quick breakdown of both programs to see if you may be eligible for a relief payment. You can also visit farmers.gov for more program information or contact Otis Wright at otis@rafiusa.org if you have questions about eligibility or how to apply.

SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON: ERP 2 VS PARP

Emergency Relief Program Phase Two

Assist producers impacted by a qualifying disaster event in 2020 or 2021, which resulted in losses to eligible crops

Includes crops, trees, bushes, and vines

Excludes livestock, livestock byproducts (i.e. dairy), timber, crops for grazing

Determine allowable gross revenue in 1) the calendar year when the disaster event occurred and 2) in 2018 or 2019 as a ‘benchmark revenue’ year.** You must be able to show there was an eligible loss in revenue in the disaster event year in comparison to 2018 or 2019 in order to receive a payment.

** If you did not produce in 2018 or 2019 or if they are not representative of average revenue, an adjusted revenue can be calculated

When calculating allowable gross revenue, producers should only count revenue that applies to eligible crops in their total. For instance, if a farmer raises cattle, honey bees, and grows peanuts, they can only include revenue related to peanuts.

Payment Limitations and Program Conditions

$125,000 payment limit per person or entity. This limit is combined from Phase 1 and Phase 2. A separate $125,000 payment limit applies to speciality/high value commodities.

In order to receive a payment, producers must obtain crop insurance or NAP coverage for eligible crops involved in revenue loss. (BIPOC, limited resource, beginning, veteran, and women farmers are eligible for free NAP coverage)

Underserved Producers BIPOC, women, limited resource, beginning, and veteran farmers will receive a higher ERP payment at a percentage rate to be determined.

Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program

Assist producers impacted by effects of COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in at least a 15% decrease in gross revenue in 2020

Includes crops, livestock, livestock or animal byproducts

Excludes timber, aquatic species, horses

Determine allowable gross revenue in 1) the calendar year 2020 and 2) in 2018 or 2019 as a ‘benchmark revenue’ year.** You must be able to show there was a 15% decrease in gross revenue in 2020 in comparison to 2018 or 2019 in order to receive a payment.

** If you did not produce in 2018 or 2019 you can include expected 2020 gross revenue instead

When calculating allowable gross revenue, producers should only count revenue that applies to eligible crops in their total. For instance, if a farmer raises cattle, perch, and grows peanuts, they can only include revenue related to cattle and peanuts.

$125,000 payment limit per person or entity.

BIPOC, women, limited resource, beginning, and veteran farmers’ payments will be calculated at a rate of 90% (the difference between revenue in 2018/2019 compared to 2020). Other producers will have payment rates set at 80%.

FSA Forms to Have on File and Why

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides a wide range of programs and services for farmers such as farm loans, disaster relief programs, and conservation programs. The presence of local county offices further helps FSA reach and serve farmers across the country. Even so, there are many farmers who do not yet have a connection to their designated local office. At RAFI-USA, we especially hear from farmers that produce on a small or diversified scale, women farmers, beginning farmers, or farmers of color that don’t always feel that FSA programs or FSA staff serve their particular needs and interests.

Benefits of an Active FSA Record

While some farmers experience frustration with their local USDA offices, there are clear benefits to farmers developing connections with their local FSA office, getting a farm number, and having their farm information on file.

• When you connect, you will be notified of updates on FSA programs.

• Those with FSA farm numbers and basic forms on file are able to apply for other USDA programs, like EQIP, and are set up to experience a smoother process for any emergency relief programs.

Form CCC-860 marks you as eligible in FSA’s system for certain program benefits, like higher payment rates, dedicated pools of funding, automatic enrollment in basic NAP (a type of financial disaster assistance/coverage). It also makes you eligible to serve on your FSA county committee.

Form CCC-941, Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Certification and Consent to Disclosure of Tax Information asks farmers to certify whether their AGI was less than $900,000 in a year. Why? Farmers who make over $900,000 in adjusted gross income are not eligible for most USDA assistance.

Form CCC-902I or 902E, Farm Operating Plan for an Individual (or Entity for 902E) requests info on capital, land, equipment, etc. Why? Some programs may require this form with the application. Also, when USDA knows what commodities you’re producing it can send you commodity-specific updates.

Form AD-1026, Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation Certification certifies that a farmer won’t produce an agricultural commodity on highly erodible land without a conservation system nor plant on a converted wetland or convert a wetland for agricultural production. Why? To show basic eligibility since program and loan dollars cannot be used for agricultural production on at-risk land.

Form CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning Farmer, and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification allows farmers to identify themselves as belonging to one of the following groups: Socially Disadvantaged: groups that have been subject to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice: Women, American Indians or Alaskan Natives, Asians or Asian Americans, Black or African Americans, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, Hispanics. Limited Resource: a farmer’s direct or indirect gross farm sales do not exceed a certain amount over a certain period of years. Beginning : farmer has not operated a farm or ranch for more than 10 years. Veteran : farmer has served in the Armed Forces and either 1) has operated a farm for less than 10 years or 2) is a veteran who first obtained veteran status in the last 10 years. Why? Marks you as eligible in FSA’s system for certain program benefits, like higher payment rates, dedicated pools of funding, and automatic enrollment in basic NAP coverage.

Contact Otis Wright at otis@rafiusa.org if you have questions