Dear John,

2020 has been a challenging year for all of us. From hurricanes and wildfires, to a global pandemic, each and every one of us has been affected in one way or another. We've relied on essential workers to help us through these challenges, and they’ve experienced tremendous impacts as a result of the pandemic, including our family farmers.

We heard farmers and ranchers talk about the challenges they’re facing during our virtual “Farm Aid 2020 On the Road” festival this year. Some of those challenges are unique to the COVID-19 pandemic, and others have persisted throughout Farm Aid’s 35-year history. In spite of these challenges – old and new – farmers persevere, relying on their resilience and ingenuity. Because that’s what family farmers and ranchers do.

From dawn to dusk they’re there for us, turning seeds and soil to harvest, and nurturing the flocks and herds we all need to survive. Farmers respond to challenges like the pandemic in a way similar to Roger Fragua, who told us, “We got on our tractors and we started farming like we’ve never farmed before.”

The pandemic has connected more people to the source of their food, but it has also revealed weaknesses and dangers in our food supply chain. Farmer Tom Henslee told us, “The customers are really engaged, understanding where their local food comes from and wanting to be a part of what we’re doing here. The flip side is our processing times have gone from two weeks to get an appointment to I’m now trying to get an appointment in September of 2021!”

A supply chain that’s largely controlled by just a handful of major corporations jeopardizes our food system. Talking about the influence of industrial agriculture on our food supply, Judith McGeary of McGeary Family Farm told us;

“I believe today’s biggest agricultural challenge is creating an agricultural system that is not corporate controlled. Corporations have one legal responsibility, and that is to maximize profits for their shareholders. We can’t afford to have a system where the companies that control our food only care about maximizing short-term profit.”

Judith is right. That’s why Farm Aid continues working every day to keep family farmers on the land. In times of crisis and when disasters or global pandemics strike, Farm Aid answers our national hotline and provides emergency assistance when farmers need it most. And we work every day to provide long-term strategies that strengthen family farm agriculture and promote fair farm policies.

Farm Aid is committed to being there for our family farmers, but we need your support. Please, if you can, make a gift right now to keep them on the land – every donation makes a real difference.

Let’s shows family farmers how essential they are to us!

Thank You,
Farm Aid