Advocacy Alert – Take Action to Increase Land Access, Security, and Opportunities in the Farm Bill
September 7, 2023
Land in Connecticut is expensive. Farmland is steadily being lost to development. Access to farmland in Connecticut has been an issue for decades, especially for non-traditional farmers of all kinds: new farmers, farmers of color, women, farmers growing non-traditional crops — and yes, organic farmers! In recent years, access to land has become a national issue, and we have an opportunity to address this problem in the upcoming Farm Bill.
CT NOFA has joined with the National Young Farmers Coalition in advocating for the Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act (H.R.3955) and (S.2340). Rep. Joe Courtney (CT -2) is a co-sponsor of the House bill, but none of Connecticut’s other Congressional Representatives or Senators have stepped up in support. You can read more about support for the bill from organic farmer Susan Mitchell of Cloverleigh Farm and Rep. Courtney in this article from the CT Mirror.
You can send a message to your own Congressional Representative and both Senators by signing onto this action alert from the National Young Farmers Coalition.
And, you can also send a message supporting six major priorities of the six NOFA chapters and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association by signing on to this action alert.
Recent Posts
Advocacy News: May 2026
The Good News: CT Senator Chris Murphy has introduced a bill (bipartisan and bicameral) to increase funding for Agricultural Management Assistance to $30 million and to expand the eligible uses for these funds to include “soil health improvements, composting, implementing organic farming, and food safety certification in addition to existing authorized uses such as water management structure and soil erosion control.” Let’s thank Senator Murphy for introducing this bill!
The Bad News: The Farm Bill passed the House of Representatives on April 30, despite 320 food, farm, and conservation organizations, including CT NOFA, voicing our opposition to a bill that does not fix SNAP, does not support new and beginning farmers, and does not adequately support conservation programs or organic agriculture. Now it goes to the Senate and we need to urge both of Connecticut’s Senators to reject this Farm Bill.
Our Vision for a Future of Resilient, Plentiful, Healthy and Locally-Grounded Farming and Food
In concluding its annual retreat, the Northeast Organic Farming Association Interstate Council (NOFA IC) reaffirms the values that have grounded our work for 55 years.
Our vision is that every person is able to live their life with healthy food, clean water and air, community, livelihood, dignity, and purpose within the means of our life-giving planet. We seek that vision on every level, from our households and farms to our communities, states, bioregions, nation, and world. For that vision to be fulfilled, every person, no matter their origin or circumstances, must have all their basic human needs met without degrading the air, water, soil, ecosystems, and climate which we have been given and on which we depend for our lives.