Policy change is necessary for a radical future
Our policy work is focused on shaping federal legislation that can address the most pressing challenges young farmers and ranchers face. We’ve seen our farmers’ grassroots advocacy dismantle inequitable policies. We believe change happens both radically and incrementally and that we can help drive transformation by centering the voices of farmers most marginalized from policy making processes.
What We Do
Land
Access to land is the number one challenge facing young and BIPOC farmers. That is why we launched the One Million Acres for the Future Campaign–to call on Congress to make a historic investment in equitable land access in the next Farm Bill.
Climate & Water
The damaging effects of climate change on agriculture are escalating, and the time to act is now. Young farmers are working hard to build solutions to the climate crisis through sustainable farming practices, and we need policies and programs to support them in implementing them.
Farmer Mental Health
Farming is a physically and mentally demanding profession, filled with uncertainty, stress, and very few breaks. We are dedicated to advancing the well-being of agriculture producers, workers, and their families through accessible and effective mental health care and assistance programs.
Racial equity is not a policy pillar, but the base upon which all pillars must stand.
Young Farmers centers racial equity in our programs, policy, and advocacy campaigns. We know that federal agricultural policies have reinforced the systemic racism that encumbers Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) farmers in almost every aspect of life, and we commit to advocating for anti-racist policy change.
The National Young Farmer Survey
Every five years, we survey young farmers and ranchers across the country to present a clear picture of their challenges and promises, and to call for a Farm Bill that serves the new generation in agriculture.
Learn more about the results and recommendations of our latest survey —> link to survey page.
We develop our policy priorities directly with farmers and ranchers.
Young Farmers has historically created federal policy platforms and campaigns by surveying young farmers nationally and gathering informal feedback from our members and chapters. In 2018, in order to more directly engage our farmer members, we began developing a process to ensure young farmers, especially BIPOC farmers, have a formal voice in setting our federal policy platform and that our platform reflects the on-the-ground needs of our farmer members.
The Young Farmers’ Federal Policy Setting Process is the result of months of research, consultation, and conversation with partners and other farmer-centric organizations. The Young Farmers Policy Setting Process was launched at Convergence 2019 through a presentation to members and was approved through a member voting process.
The 2024-25 members are:
- Tanama Varas, Northeast BIPOC Representative
Colchester, Vermont – Farm Manager and Farmer Training Program Educator at the University of Vermont - Alaena Robbins, Northeast Representative
Limington, Maine – Farm Manager of Broadturn Farm - Patrick Brown, Southeast BIPOC Representative
Henderson, North Carolina – Farmer Owner/Operator - Tegan Alspaugh, Southeast Representative
Chattanooga, Tennessee – Farm Manager and member of the Southeast Tennessee Young Farmers Chapter - Lydia Nebel, Midwest Representative
Kansas City, Missouri – Farm Director and President of the KC Young Farmers Chapter - Alexis Albanez, Northwest BIPOC Representative
Denver, Colorado – Farmer at Frontline Farming and member of the Mile High Farmers Young Farmers Chapter - Michelle Week, Northwest Representative
Portland, Oregon – Farm Owner - Kirsten Couevas, Southwest Representative
Los Lunas, New Mexico – Farm Owner/Operator and member of the Federal Policy Board - Pork Rhyne, At-large Representative
Greensboro, North Carolina – Retired (for now) farmer, known as “The Pork Evangelist” - Nicolás Garcia, At-large Representative
Kansas City, Missouri – Campesino at Treehouse Urban Farm, Production Manager at Boys Grow, and Secretary of the Kansas City Young Farmers Chapter