Emerging Farmers Conference 2023

Written by Rosie Russell, November 2023

Agricultural policies are often co-created with stakeholders in the community.
But which stakeholders?
Well, simply put, it’s the stakeholders who are actively benefiting from the existing policies.

By and large, that does not include our emerging farmers and farm workers.

It does not include the people who want to farm differently. The people who want to own the land, but cannot afford it, or have limited connections. The people who have not benefited from generational inheritance, because they moved here recently, or were forced to give up their land due to war and treaties, or heirs’ property. The people who did not benefit from the homestead act because they weren’t considered citizens. The people who want to farm WITH their community, not alone. The people who want to farm in a commons. The people who grow non-commodity crops, like okra or sweet potato, or who grow on very few acres.

The barriers exist for them, because they are not the ones at the table. They are not the ones being asked to co-create policies.

I had the pleasure of attending the Emerging Farmers Conference in Mounds View, Minnesota last Saturday (November 4, 2023), where I learned about many of these challenges. I came away with an immense amount of hope.

Why?

I saw firsthand many amazing organizations actively working to bring more voices to the policy table. These organizations are led by black and brown change makers, Indigenous folks, first generation refugees, and more, all with lived experiences on and off the farm. They are actively creating spaces that change the perspective, with stories about the reality of what’s happening. They are holding our legislators accountable, and giving our emerging farmers a voice. I look forward to the day when they are the ones sitting in office.

Added May of 2024:

About 1 week after the Midwest Farmers of Color Collective (MFCC) hosted their legislative listening session at the conference, I drew the image below. It is a representation of how I saw the room that day.

Crowded in the middle were those who nourish our land and communities, while those charged with allocating resources sat up front. MFCC connected us all together by fostering energetic communication and warm vibes.