Our nation's direct market and value-added operations are legally vulnerable to an alarming degree

Farm Commons Inc. received a $420,763 Project Grant award from the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) to deliver advanced legal education resources nationwide for direct market and value-added agricultural producers from September 2021 through September 2024. The grant funding will support Farm Commons in developing a wide range of dynamic legal education materials including guides, online courses, and farmer solutions sessions focused on complex issues in direct marketing and value-added agriculture. Resources will be made permanently available in multiple formats to accommodate different learning styles and meet the needs of a diverse producer audience, including Spanish speakers. The program aims to deepen legal resilience for the community of direct market and value-added producers that has expanded due to interest following the COVID-19 pandemic. Advisory committee members and outreach partners will ensure nationwide effectiveness.

Especially after the pandemic where we saw farmers nationwide turn to direct marketing, we must give famers the support they need to become legally resilient or the promise of sustainability and economic viability will wilt on the vine. Farmers want and need legal education, but good quality materials that offer the depth and focus they need are impossible to find. Our successful basic farm law education program (funded via an fmpp grant) raised the bar and created baseline resilience for farmers nationwide, but farmers need advanced information, including spanish-speaking producers. Now, IT's time to deepen legal resilience for the entire community of direct market and value added producers nationwide. Not only do we have an influx of farmers pursuing direct market options as a result of the pandemic, we have surging interest in more complex legal issues. A wide set of dynamic education resources that includes guides, online courses, and farmer solutions sessions doesn't just teach- IT delivers authentic change, develops regional farmer-leaders, and creates permanently-available resources. Whether a farmer learns best by reading guides, interacting with others, taking an online class, or receiving direct support from a teacher, this program will meet their needs. All of the advisory committee members and outreach partners have direct experience with our basic farm law education program and will ensures this nationwide program will be effective for diverse communities.