On January 11, 2024, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition reported on farmers from across the country discussing how the Inflation Reduction Act, IRA, provides much-needed, long-sought federal funding to bolster farmer-led conservation efforts. The House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) hosted a public roundtable highlighting the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) transformational investments in climate and clean energy solutions for America’s food producers. Farmers’ firsthand stories of how climate change is affecting their farms demonstrate the importance of protecting the federal programs helping them build resilience.
Panelists included SEEC Climate and Agriculture Task Force Co-Chair Chellie Pingree (D-ME 1, SEEC Climate and Agriculture Task Force Co-Chair Kim Schrier (D-WA 8), Lindi and Jared Phillips of Branch Mountain Farm in Lincoln, AR, Denise and John Jamerson of Legacy Taste of the Garden in Princeton, IN, Pryor Garnett of Garnetts Red Prairie Farm in Sheridan, OR, Ariana Taylor-Stanley of Here We Are Farm in Trumansburg, NY, and Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director. The following are some pertinent comments by the attending farmers.
Denise Jamerson, Legacy Taste of the Garden, Princeton, IN
“The importance of the need to grow food, agriculture products, good land stewardship is the most imperative investment for our children’s future. With the (Inflation Reduction Act) IRA’s support and the continued implementation of the climate smart technical support and capacity building addressing the volatile aspect of farming, costs of equipment, growing practices and soil development, the next generation has a better future and opportunities for sustainability…The IRA funding in these programs is critical to the future of agriculture.”
Lindi Phillips, Branch Mountain Farm, Lincoln, AR
“Season over season [rotational grazing] builds soil health and increases soil’s capacity to both hold on to water and to sequester carbon. This is huge both in times of drought and in times of increased precipitation, both are which are becoming increasingly common in our area and across the US as the climate crisis unfolds. However, implementing these systems comes with the sizeable price tag and there aren’t many farmers who can simply absorb that cost. So many farmers across the nation are stuck at an impossible place right now if they want to stay competitive in their industry, they have to respond to markets and at present those markets don’t favor climate-friendly farming. Consumers are largely unfamiliar with the real cost of producing quality food in a way that does not exploit and eventually wreck our soils.”
To read more comments and the full article by Laura Zaks ([email protected] ) HERE.
