Center for Race, Poverty, and the Environment

May 22, 2012

Dear Members of Congress:

We the undersigned fully endorse the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act (S. 1773, H.R. 3286) that was introduced on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 by Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, along with 35 original co-sponsors.

The legislation helps farmers and ranchers by addressing production, aggregation, processing, marketing, and distribution needs to access growing local and regional food markets. The bill also assists consumers by improving access to healthy food. The measure provides secure farm bill funding for critically important programs that support family farms, expand new farming opportunities, create rural jobs, and invest in the local food and agriculture economy. We urge you to support this comprehensive bill that will improve upon existing farm programs to effectively foster local and regional food system development.

National Organic Trade Association Center for Race, Poverty, and the Environment Organic Valley Center for Rural Affairs Oxfam America Center for Science in the Public Interest Pesticide Action Network Community Food Security Coalition Prevention Institute Consumer Federation of America Renewing the Countryside The Cornucopia Institute Rural Advancement Foundation International Crawford Stewardship Project (RAFI) Demeter Association School Food FOCUS National Office Environmental Working Group Slow Food USA Equity Trust, Inc. Union of Concerned Scientists Fair Food Network Women, Food, and Agriculture Network Farm Aid Farmers Market Coalition Arizona Food and Water Watch Local Food Concepts Food Animal Concerns Trust Food Democracy Now! Arkansas Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy ARDWG - Sustainable Agri Group Institute for Social and Economic Development Delta Land & Community (ISED) Izaak Walton League of America California Local Harvest CSA California Farmers Union National Association of Conservation Districts CCOF National Association of Counties (NACO) Center for Land-Based Learning National Association of Development Center for Race, Poverty, and the Environment Organizations (NADO) Classic Organic National Associations of Counties Community Alliance with Family Farmers National Center for Appropriate Technology Crane Creek Growers National Farmers Union Mar Vista Farmers Market National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Organic Farming Research Foundation National Organic Coalition Pesticide Action Network National Young Farmers' Coalition PolicyLink Organic Farming Research Foundation Prevention Institute Roots of Change GIPNA (Greater Independence Park Neighborhood Assoc.) Colorado Glenwood Sunday Market Edible Planet Good Earth Food Alliance LLC Connecticut Healthy Dining Chicago Northeast Organic Farming Association of Illinois Farmers Market Network Connecticut Illinois Organic Growers Association Wholesome Wave Illinois Stewardship Alliance Yale Food Action Liberty Prairie Foundation North Central Illinois Farmer Network District of Columbia The Land Connection Columbia Heights Community Marketplace Uncommon Ground, Inc. Environmental Working Group ISED - Institute for Social & Economic Indiana Development Green B.E.A.N. Delivery National Association of Counties National Association of Development Iowa Organizations (NADO) Food Democracy Now! National Farmers Union Iowa Environmental Council National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Leopold Group, Southeast Iowa chapter of Iowa Oxfam America Sierra Club Local Harvest CSA Florida National Catholic Rural Life Conference AGvocacy, LLC. National Center for Appropriate Technology Florida Certified Organic Growers & Practical Farmers of Iowa Consumers, Inc. (FOG) Women, Food and Agriculture Network Sharper Than New, LLC Slow Food First Coast Kansas Slow Food Glades to Coast Kansas Rural Center

Georgia Maine Augusta Locally Grown Belfast Co-op Environment Georgia Coastal Enterprises, Inc. Georgia Organics Eat Local Foods Coalition of Maine Historic Westside Gardens, Inc. Food AND Medicine Four Seasons Produce Cooperative Idaho Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Idaho’s Bounty Co-op Association Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society Illinois Maine Rural Partners Angelic Organics Learning Center Maine Centers for Women, Work and Bush Homeowners and Tenants Association Community Central Illinois Farm Beginnings Slow Money Maine Steering Committee Chicago Botanic Garden Somerset Grist Mill Crossroads Chicago Honey Co-op Door to Door Organics Maryland Downtown Bloomington Farmers' Market Crossroads Community Food Network Edible Economy Project Izaak Walton League of America Evanston Food Council Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future Food Animal Concerns Trust Montgomery Countryside Alliance Food Works Recycled Cities Future Harvest CASA Land Stewardship Project Mill City Farmers Market Massachusetts Minnesota Farmer’s Market Association Berkshire Co-op Minnesota FoodShare Berkshire Grown Minnesota Food Association Boston Area Gleaners Office of the Mayor of Minneapolis, R.T. Rybak Cambridge Farmers Market Renewing the Countryside Equity Trust, Inc. River Market Community Co-op Farm Aid Stevens Square Farmers Market Field to Table Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota Franklin County Community Development Village Farmers Market Corporation Wedge Community Co-op Justamere Tree Farm Lutheran Social Service of New England Mississippi Melrose/Sally Frank's Farmers' Market Mississippians Engaged in Greener Agriculture New England Small Farm Institute Rainbow Natural Grocery Cooperative New Entry Sustainable Farming Project Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance Missouri Northeast Organic Farming Association of Catholic Charities of Kansas City- St. Joseph Massachusetts Old Rochester Farmers' Market Montana Real Pickles AmeriCorps Rural Votes National Center for Appropriate Technology Slow Food Boston Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard Nebraska The Carrot Project Center for Rural Affairs The Lost Arts Collaborative / Captain Pollard's Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society Flintlock Farm Union of Concerned Scientists New Hampshire Concord Cooperative Market Michigan Granite State Fish Food System Economic Partnership Manchester Food Co-op Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK) New Hampshire Association of Conservation Growing Hope Districts Michigan Food and Farming Systems Sea Coast Eat Local Michigan Land Use Institute Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance New Jersey Northwest Michigan Council of Governments City Green, Inc. Northwest Michigan Food & Farming Network Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Skinny Farm of Scio Jersey Slow Food Huron Valley Sustainable Community Farms New Mexico Oryana Natural Foods Market New Mexico Acequia Association Lorentz Meats Minnesota Taos County Economic Development Corp CAPI Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy New York Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches Abundance Cooperative Market The Hmong American Farmers Association CUNY Food Studies Collective Kids for Saving Earth Farmshed CNY Lakewinds Natural Food Coop Fresh Start Market Hawthorn Valley Farm Nuestra Communidad Sana Hunger Action Network of NYS Oregon Farmers Markets Association Isabahlia LOEF Oregon Rural Action Just Food Oregon Tilth National Organic Coalition Portland Area Community Supported National Young Farmers' Coalition Agriculture Coalition (PACSAC) NOFA Interstate Council Rogue Farm Corps Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Rogue Valley Farm to School York Rural Organizing Project School Food Focus National Office Silverton Health/Wellspring Marketplace Slow Food USA Thrive Small Scale Food Processors Association of Wellspring Marketplace/Silverton Health New York SNAP Gardens Pennsylvania SOLE of Buffalo Fay-Penn Economic Development Council Greater Lehigh Valley Chapter, Buy Fresh Buy North Carolina Local Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Chatham Marketplace Agriculture Eastern Carolina Organics The Food Trust Northeast Pasture Consortium RAFI-USA Rhode Island Tidal Creek Cooperative Food Market Farm Fresh Rhode Island

Ohio Tennessee ACEnet Arugula’s Star of Neal Family Farms, L.P. Alliance Farmer’s Market Community Food Advocates Local Matters Grow Memphis Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association Nashville Grown Ohio Environmental Council Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee Slow Food Columbus Tennessee Alliance for Progress Tennessee Obesity Taskforce/ Vanderbilt Oklahoma Institute for Obesity and Metabolism The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture Mvskoke Food Sovereignty Initiative Texas Norman Sustainability Network CASA Del Llano Oklahoma Farm and Food Alliance Sustainable Food Center Sustainable Stillwater Texas A&M Health Science Center: College of Sustainable Tahlequah Medicine: Holistic Medical Society Texas Mexico Border Coalition CBO Oregon Adelante Mujeres Utah Central Oregon Food Policy Council Zion Harvest Central Oregon Locavore Community Food Security Coalition Vermont Demeter Association Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society Ecotrust Intervale Community Farm Eugene School Garden Project of Lane County New England Farmers Union Friends of Family Farmers Organic Trade Association Montavilla Farmers Market Putney Food Co-op Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides Quaker Earthcare Witness Upper Valley Food Co-op West Virginia Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Heart and Hand House, Inc. Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Wisconsin Virginia Abundant Garden Life Appalachian Sustainable Development Crawford Stewardship Project Bean Hollow Organics Edible Madison Farmers Market Coalition Family Farm Defenders Smart Markets, Inc. Madison Area CSA Coalition Virginia Association for Biological Farming Michael Fields Agricultural Institute Williamsburg Farmers Market Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service Washington Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Salmon Creek Farmers' Market Organic Valley Seattle Farmers Market Association REAP Food Group Washington State Farmers Market Association Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network Washington Sustainable Food & Farming The Cornucopia Institute Network The CSA Coalition Tilth Producers of Washington Valley Stewardship Network Wisconsin Local Food Network