Dear John,

We just got back from Luck Reunion, a music festival held on Farm Aid President, Willie Nelson's ranch every March. There, we talked to farmers, artists and chefs for our podcast: Against the Grain. Specifically, we spoke to superstar Chef Rick Bayless. On a new bonus episode, Chef Bayless recounts his time living in Mexico. There he noticed that if people had a strong local agricultural economy, the food in the restaurants and homes just tasted better. When he moved to Chicago he decided to replicate this model.

In this very short, appetizer episode, Rick talks about how he worked with other chefs and local farmers to organize the first farmers markets in Chicago. More than that, over the last 37 years, his Frontera Farmer Foundation has invested millions in the city's local agricultural economy, primarily through small grants to farmers seeking to expand production. Take a quick listen - you won't want to miss it!

Farm Aid is a member of Cultivemos (formerly known as the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network Northeast), which aims to improve behavioral health awareness, literacy, access, and outcomes for farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers in the Northeast. They do this by developing a service provider network that can assist and meet the unique needs of agricultural workers in the region.

The name “Cultivemos” is a Spanish word meaning “we cultivate” and is a metaphor; as a network, Cultivemos is growing a community to care for the health of farmers and farm workers, much like land is cultivated to prepare for healthy crops. Additionally the “we” is about being accessible and inclusive to people of all race, class, gender and other identities.

The Fair Credit for Farmers Act is based on the belief that all farmers deserve fair treatment from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), which has not always been the case. This Act makes important reforms to FSA, protecting farmers and making them equal partners in the lending process and ultimately, their farm business’ success.

Ask your legislators to support the Fair Credit for Farmers Act (S.2668 and H.R.5296), which will improve access and accountability in FSA, a critical step toward better supporting farmers and keeping them on the land and farming.