Family farm activist Willie Nelson will be rolling through Salem and playing at the Oregon State Fair on August 29th. We at the Apple Cart want to give a big shout out to welcome Willie to thank him for his support of family farmers across the country. According to the Farm Aid website, Willie Nelson and Farm Aid, "have raised more than $30 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture." Read more about Farm Aid's work here.
Continue reading for an excerpt from “Save Family Farms, Save America” by Willie Nelson.
Save Family Farms, Save America” by Willie Nelson
While it might seem obvious to many, good food comes from farms with healthy soil and clean water. As the stewards of the land, family farmers are the foundation of this movement, as well as its guarantor. A healthy America needs many family farmers on the land – Those who grow our food and care for the land and water are of vital national importance. Farmers and their fields are the fabric that holds our country together.
While good, healthy, fresh food from family farms is the most visible product of a sustainable food system or “good food” movement that each of us can enjoy, the movement stands for much more. It represents the interests of all who care about the future of our land, its resources and its people. As members of this movement and as eaters, the food we choose to buy connects us directly to those who produced it and to the multiple reasons why it is in our own interests to see this movement flourish. Preserving family farmers and our farm land also protects our natural resources, health and nutrition, local economies, energy footprint, and even our democracy.
The most direct and regular action you can take is to search out and buy as much of your food directly from farm families in your area. Our food choices today shape tomorrow's agriculture. Think about one food item that you can buy from local farmers and commit to buying it. These small and simple actions are growing a healthier food system and changing American agriculture for the better. The other opportunity we have to further this movement is the current debate over the next Farm Bill. If you value good food from family farms, if you care about local and democratic control, if you care about health and nutrition for children, and if you want your children and grandchildren to enjoy the benefits of a clean environment, then demand a Farm Bill that protects it. The future of good food depends on all of us.
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