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The following groups are members of the National Family Farm Coalition: American Agriculture Movement American Agriculture Movement:
The American Agriculture Movement was born in the fall of 1977 out of
desperation. Congress had just enacted another farm bill that insured
four more years of prices paid to farmers below their cost of production.
AAM farmers have become directly involved in the political process pressing
politicians to take stands on agricultural issues and exposing those
who have not taken appropriate positions. AAM action has directly caused
existing farm groups to become more responsive to the best interests
of both farmers and consumers. Above all, AAM has provided a farmer-created,
farmer-built organization within which farmers themselves have been
the leaders, speakers and organizers. In becoming involved with government
and politics, farmers have spoken for themselves, much more than in
the past. American Corn Growers
Association: The American Corn Growers Association (ACGA) is America's
leading progressive commodity association, representing the interests
of thousands of corn producers in 28 states. Since it's inception in
1987, the ACGA has worked tirelessly to protect farm income and rural
communities. The ACGA recognizes that farmers need to have the opportunity
to be rewarded for their time, investment and risk. To serve you better,
the ACGA works to develop national legislation that protects the interests
of corn producers and the rural communities that depends on them. Through
the development of educational and promotion programs, the ACGA is better
able to represent the needs of corn growers nationwide. American Raw Milk Producers Pricing Association (WI): The American Raw Milk Producers Pricing Association is an organization of dairy farmers dedicated to establishing a raw milk price which returns to dairy producers their cost of production plus a profit. ARMPPA is a milk-marketing agency that holds no allegiance to any existing milk handler, cooperative or corporation. Through ARMPPA, small and moderate-sized dairy producers can survive as independent businesses and avoid vertical integration. Ashtabula Lake Geauga Counties Farmers' Union (OH): The Ashtabula Lake Geauga Counties Farmers' Union works to sustain economically viable family farms, sustainable agriculture and fair trade. The organization represents farmers in three counties of Northeast Ohio. These farmers advocate for fair prices. California Dairy Campaign:
The CDC is a statewide membership association of family dairy farmers
that is recognized as a non-profit corporation. The CDC was formed
to build a movement of dairymen who, by working together, can move the
dairy industry to be more responsive to the needs of the family farm
in this state. The goals of the CDC are to achieve an equitable dairy
system that will return to dairymen a price that is fair, based on the
cost of production and return on investment and management; to promote
policies and husbandry practices that will lead to the responsible care
of cattle and land to ensure safe and healthy food; to work at all levels
to enhance the economic viability of the dairy industry for future generations;
and, to support general farm policies that will maintain rural incomes
at a viable level. Community Farm Alliance
(KY): Community Farm Alliance (CFA) is a statewide grassroots organization
of persons committed to family-scale farming as the most efficient and
sustainable form of producing the best quality food, while protecting
the environment and strengthening rural community life. CFA believes
that family-scale farming and people working together lay a foundation
for community life. Current economic and political conditions eroded
family scale farming so significantly that a new system of agriculture
is needed-one that keeps people on the land. CFA seeks to ensure the
health and well being of rural communities by advocating rural economic
development whose first priority is the protection of family-scale farming.
Dakota Resource Council:
In 1978, founders formed the Dakota Resource Council, a nonprofit, grassroots
activist organization, to protect North Dakota's land, air, water, rural
communities and agricultural economy. DRC's mission is to form enduring,
democratic local groups that empower people to influence decision-making
processes that affect their lives. DRC works for preservation of family
farms, enforcement of corporate farming laws, soil and water conservation,
regulation of coal mining and oil and gas development, protection of
groundwater and clean air, renewable energy, and sound management of
solid and toxic wastes. Dakota Rural Action:
Dakota Rural Action (DRA) formed in 1987 to create a better future for
South Dakota's rural communities, family farms, ranches, and main street
businesses while preserving natural resources and a clean environment.
DRA is working towards: opening and freeing livestock markets, challenging
the spread of large scale corporate farming, protecting groundwater
resources, and creating new opportunities for family farmers. Family Farm Defenders (WI):
Family Farm Defenders (FFD) incorporated as a non-profit organization
in 1994 and was granted permanent 501(c)(3) status by the IRS in 1999.
FFD began as an outgrowth of two national grass-roots campaigns: demanding
a national referendum to end the mandatory check-off on raw milk that
funds the lobby and propaganda efforts of the corporate dairy industry;
and to defend consumer "right to know" in response to the
stealth introduction of recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) into
the nation's milk supply. Our mission is to create a farmer-controlled
and consumer-oriented food and fiber system, based upon democratically
controlled institutions that empower farmers to speak for and respect
themselves in their quest for social and economic justice. FFD has worked
to create opportunities for farmers to join together in new cooperative
endeavors, form a mutual marketing agency, and forge alliances with
consumers through providing high quality food products while returning
a fair price to farmers. Family Farm Defenders (FFD) is committed to
building a farmer-controlled and consumer-oriented food system. FFD
developed its own cheese label: Family Farmer Cheese. Milk for its cheese
comes from small dairy farms in South-central Wisconsin that use no
artificial hormones. Cedar Grove Cheese Co. makes this cheese and pays
farmers "the cost-of-production plus profit price." Farms Not Arms (CA): FNA
was formed in 2005 by farmers who wanted to take a more active role
in the broader social and political life of the country, and specifically
to add a farmer's perspective to the movement for peace, social justice,
and a healthy environment. starting with a handful of people from different
political, religious and social backgrounds, FNA has now grown to over
three hundred farmers and food industry people, with enthusiastic support
and participation from the leaders of our nation's family farm organizations.
Federation of Southern
Cooperatives: The Federation of Southern Cooperatives is the only
organization in the Southeast that has as its primary objectives the
retention of black owned land and the use of cooperatives for land-based
economic development. Its thirty-five year history has successfully
provided self-help economic opportunities and hope for many low-income
communities across the South. In fact, the Federation is the only organization
in the Cooperatives of businesses that is locally controlled to build
wealth through the participation of people. The Federations assists
in the development of cooperatives and credit unions as a collective
strategy to create economic self-sufficiency. The Federation strives
toward developing self-supporting communities with programs that increase
income and enhance other opportunities, focusing on assistance in land
retention and development, especially for African Americans, but essentially
for all family farmers. Idaho Rural Council:
Idaho Rural Council (IRC) is committed to preserving the economic well-being
of Idaho's family farms and rural communities; to building a more sustainable
society which will guarantee positive economic and social choices for
present and future generations; to achieving good stewardship of humanity,
land, air and water. IRC endeavors to educate, organize, and empower
farmers and the general public to develop community and state leadership,
to build coalitions and to employ only legal and ethical means, consistent
with democratic principles to achieve this mission. Iowa Citizens for Community
Improvement: Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI)
is a 27-year old membership-based organization whose mission is to empower
and unite grassroots people of all ethnic backgrounds to take control
of their communities; involve them in identifying problems and needs
and in taking action to address them; and be a vehicle for social, economic,
and environmental justice. Iowa CCI began organizing family farmers
and rural residents in 1981 to fight for fair farm prices and address
problems associated with high interest rates and rapidly increasing
farm foreclosures. Since then, Iowa CCI has focused on a variety of
economic and environmental issues, including sustainable agriculture,
credit and lending policies, conservation, and corporate concentration
in agriculture. It works with farmers and other rural residents on a
variety of local, statewide and national issues. Some of the main issues
it is currently working on include federal farm policy, promoting family
farms, stopping factory farms, protecting the environment, and working
for healthy rural communities. Land Loss Prevention Project
(NC): The Land Loss Prevention Project (LLPP) is a non-profit, public
interest law firm created by the North Carolina Association of Black
Lawyers in 1983 to respond to the unprecedented decline in the number
of family farmers and low income and minority landowners. LLPP's mission
is to use legal expertise, community education, and advocacy skills
to help landowners who face legal, economic, and environmental challenges
to their land ownership. The overarching mission of the organization
is to re-enter African-American farmers into the food system. Missouri Rural Crisis Center: The Missouri Rural Crisis Center is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985. It is a progressive, statewide membership organization that works to empower farmers and other rural people. The mission of MRCC is to preserve family farms, promote stewardship of the land and environmental integrity, and strive for economic and social justice by building unity and mutual understanding among diverse groups, both rural and urban. MRCC's membership includes over 4,000 farm families. Most recently, MRCC led the fight to end the Pork check off. National Hmong-American Farmers, Inc.: The National Hmong American Farmers Inc. (NHAF) is a spin-off of the Hmong American Community and was formerly known as the Small Farm Resource and Training Center. It was created to help small and minority farmers (Southeast Asian, African American, Latino) in Fresno County, California become economically self-sufficient while preserving their culture and communities. Its programs include a marketing and technical assistance cooperative, a farmer training program, health and safety workshops and business seminars. Northern Plains Resource
Council (MT): Northern Plains Resource Council organizes Montana
citizens to protect our water quality, family farms and ranches, and
unique quality of life. We are a grassroots conservation and family
agriculture group that gets the job done - protecting the Northern Plains
and the people who make their home here. Other issues the NPRC supports
include: fighting for reforms to stop price-fixing and other monopolistic
practices by the meatpacking industry; exposing schemes to locate unsafe
waste disposal facilities in Montana communities; standing up to the
use of eminent domain by the Tongue River Railroad to seize control
of private property for private gain; finding solutions to out-of-control
growth and seeking ways for farmers and ranchers to stay on the land;
working for trade policies that allow American agriculture to compete
fairly; and defending the interests of citizens in the face of corporate
political pressure. Ohio Farmers Union:
The Ohio Farmers Union has been serving Ohio farmers since 1934 with
its goal of sustaining and strengthening the family farm structure of
agriculture for the benefit of farmers, rural residents, and consumers.
OFU encourages value-added marketing, and growing new markets and new
opportunities for Ohio farm families. Other issues OFU works for include:
estate tax fairness; mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) of
food products; federal funding for farmer-owned cooperative renewable
fuels plants; legislation to allow farmers the right to save and replant
patented seed; fair production contracts for farmers; and other farm
policies benefiting the family farmer first. Powder River Basin Resource
Council (WY): The Powder River Basin Resource Council formed in
1973 in response to unplanned rapid energy development and supports
the conservation of Wyoming's land, minerals, water and clean air consistent
with responsible use of those resources. Powder River Basin Resource
Council is committed to: the preservation and enrichment of Wyoming's
agricultural heritage and rural lifestyle; the conservation of Wyoming's
unique land, mineral, water, and clean air resources consistent with
responsible use of those resources to sustain the livelihood of present
and future generations; and the education and empowerment of Wyoming's
citizens to raise a coherent voice in the decisions that will impact
their environment and lifestyle. Powder River Basin Resource Council
is committed to the empowerment of people through community organizing.
More than ever, it is crucial that Wyoming's voice for responsible development,
PRBRC, be a part of the debate that will determine Wyoming's future.
Progressive Agriculture
(PA): Profile coming soon... Protect Maine Farmers:
Protect Maine Farmers is working to ensure that Maine's farmers
have all the tools that they need to be successful now and in the future.
They seek to amplify and support the voices of farmers in this critical
time as decisions are made that will impact the future of farming in
Maine. Through farmer outreach, legislative action, and direct empowering
of farmers to act on their own behalf, they are building a just, secure,
and democratic food system. Efforts include developing consensus strategies
and legislation to reduce the legal and environmental threats posed
to farmers by genetic trespass; training farmers to be advocates for
their concerns at local and state levels; promoting market opportunities
for farmers who use sustainable agricultural practices; and, promoting
discussion at the PMF website and through community listening sessions. Rural Advancement Foundation
International-USA (RAFI-USA): RAFI-USA is dedicated to community,
equity and diversity in agriculture. While focusing on North Carolina
and the southeastern United States, RAFI-USA also works nationally and
internationally. In a world where government farm programs are being
phased out, RAFI-USA is playing a leadership role in responding to major
agricultural trends and creating something new: a movement to create
unity among environmental, consumer farm groups in order to foster balanced
agriculture. Our aims include: promoting sustainable agriculture--that
is, systems of agriculture that strengthen the environment, family farms
and rural communities; promoting crop genetic diversity and responsible
use of new technologies; and reforming contract agriculture. RAFI-USA's
programs address the trends and changes in agriculture that affect us
from the local to the global levels. Working with a variety of farm,
community, university and government groups, RAFI-USA promotes sustainability,
equity and diversity in agriculture through policy changes, practical
assistance, market opportunities, and access to financial and technical
resources. RAFI-USA's goals include maintaining a reliable supply of
safe, healthy food that depends on: strong family farms and rural communities;
close connections between consumers and food producers; and environmentally
sound farming and safeguarding agricultural biodiversity. Rural Vermont: At the
heart of Vermont's future, Rural Vermont is a statewide grassroots organization
dedicated to building a prosperous rural life. Rural Vermont supports
a rural economic policy for Vermont that recognizes the importance of
agriculture and natural resource based industries, support for small
rural businesses, along with jobs, fair wages, and decent health care,
housing and transportation for all rural citizens. We are committed
to a broad-based sustainable agriculture in harmony with the needs of
the family, community, and the environment for future generations. Our
work includes promoting the Northeast Dairy Compact, fighting the use
of rBGH, and adopting the rBGH labeling law. Today Rural Vermont is
leading the fight against corporate farm proliferation. Last year, Rural
Vermont led the Town-to-Town Campaign to restrict GE crops in the state.
This campaign effort resulted in over 70 Vermont towns passing resolutions
to restrict GE crops in the state. Now the Campaign is pushing for a
state moratorium against planting GE seeds in Vermont. Western Colorado Congress:
WCC is an alliance for community action empowering people |
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nffc@nffc.net ph (202) 543-5675 (c) 2008 National Family Farm Coalition |
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