Washington, D.C., Feb. 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Next month, representatives from Kiss the Ground and the Regenerate America™ coalition will head to Washington to unite in a Rally for Resilience, joining a grassroots alliance of farmers, farmworkers, and farmer allies from across the country, bringing a unified ask to policymakers: make climate policy a priority in the 2023 U.S. Farm Bill.
Coined “Farmers for Climate Action: Rally for Resilience,” the event aims to mobilize our nation’s producers to the Capitol, reminiscent of the historic 1979 Tractorcade. With the Farm Bill due for reauthorization this fall, farmers, ranchers, and advocates have identified the omnibus bill as a critical opportunity to address the severe challenges facing the farming community due to the climate crisis.
“As a fifth-generation farmer from Nebraska, I look forward to sharing my story with members of Congress. I have seen first-hand the wide-ranging benefits for farmers, including on our farm, when we rebuild soil health. Regenerative ag has made our land more resilient, which helps address changing climate conditions like the extreme droughts and floods of recent years, but it has also improved our bottom line. Updating the Farm Bill to help farmers and ranchers safely transition to regenerative agriculture is not partisan but rather good business and is a win-win-win for farmers, consumers, and our communities.”
– Graham Christensen, regenerative farmer, Nebraska
Farmers and ranchers, working at the forefront of the climate crisis every day, will call upon legislators to support a slate of agriculture policies that will empower them with the resources, assistance, and incentives necessary to scale up the adoption of regenerative practices across the nation and ensure that the future of American agriculture is resilient.
“Farmers and ranchers are frontline stewards of the land; through their work, we have the potential to build healthy soils, nutrient-dense foods, restore the water cycle, and ultimately reduce the impacts of climate change. For that to happen, farmers need support–together, we are working with both Democrats and Republicans, so the ‘23 Farm Bill shifts meaningful resources to create a seismic shift across our farmlands.”
– Evan Harrison, CEO of Kiss the Ground
In addition, rally participants will be advocating for a Farm Bill that promotes equity in agriculture, redirecting resources from corporate support to community-oriented investments, and addressing the systemic barriers that have historically disenfranchised Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.
“I am a farmer, a grandpa, and an Earth Defender who represents many Indigenous farmers; we are committed to healing the Earth by engaging regenerative agriculture practices,” said Chili Yazzie, a Diné farmer and activist in Shiprock, Navajo Nation, New Mexico who will be speaking at the rally. “It is imperative that we leave a healthy Earth for our grandchildren. The inclusion of regenerative agriculture resources into the Farm Bill 2023 will provide a strong opportunity for us to live up to the profound responsibility of preserving the Earth we borrow from our grandchildren.”
– Chili Yazzie, regenerative Diné farmer, New Mexico
It is critical that the expertise and knowledge of these communities to steward the land be recognized in the Farm Bill and that they are engaged in developing climate-solution policies and programs, as these communities are often the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
The 2023 Farm Bill is a critical opportunity to build an agriculture system that is resilient and just, based on principles of regeneration. As such, Regenerate America™ has also launched a petition bringing together consumers with producers to call on Congress to support Regenerative Agriculture in the Farm Bill.
Events of the Rally for Resilience will occur from March 6-8, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Additional information is available here.
The Regenerate America delegation will include Kiss the Ground staff, farmers Chili Yazzie, Yadi Wang, and Graham Christensen, and coalition members La Rhea Pepper from Textile Exchange and Amy McMillion from Fearless Farmers.
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About Kiss the Ground
Kiss the Ground is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration and inspire participation in this movement through storytelling, education, and advocacy. Since being established in 2013 with the goal of creating societal awareness around the extraordinary potential of healthy soil and regeneration, Kiss the Ground has educated and activated tens of millions across the world.
About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.
About Regenerate America™
Regenerate America™is an unprecedented coalition of farmers, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals from every corner of our country and all political stripes. Together, we are amplifying the voices of farmers and ranchers demanding that the 2023 Farm Bill shift resources & support towards regenerative agriculture. Regenerate America™ is convened by the soil health nonprofit, Kiss the Ground.
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