Our farm and food system is more resilient and just with more farmers stewarding the land and growing food for their communities, but so many people who want to farm are facing significant barriers to getting established and sustaining their businesses. The Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities (LASO) Act, championed by Minnesota U.S. Senator Tina Smith, would re-authorize the Land, Capital, and Market Access Program with $100 million. If passed as part of the next Farm Bill, our country would take a major step forward in addressing some of the biggest challenges our emerging and beginning farmers face.
If enacted, this innovative bill would, through the Farm Bill, fund powerful, community-led solutions to the land access crisis facing the new generation of young and Black farmers, Indigenous farmers, and farmers of color. This is a significant victory for young farmers, ranchers, and everyone who has been fighting to win federal funding to address issues of equitable land access, retention, and transition. This bill will increase access to capital for underserved farmers, boost training and economic opportunity for beginner farmers, and help make land more affordable for BIPOC farmers.
Please contact U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, the Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, asking her to add the Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act into the Senate’s Farm Bill to invest in secure, equitable access to land.