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
CT NOFA Launches Equipment Share Program
CT NOFA is proud to announce the launch of our Equipment Share Program. In partnership with The Hickories in Ridgefield, Connecticut, this program aims to provide both commercial farmers and home gardeners free access to both specialized equipment and expertise in a shared environment. Equipment Share days at The Hickories will include free soil analysis, seed winnowing services, nut cleaning, compost tea brewing workshops, and much more.
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.