The Farm Bill isn't just about food.

That's why right now, our movement is pushing to make sure this year's Farm Bill includes provisions to address child care and family leave. We have a huge opportunity here to lift up rural families and build healthy, thriving communities again.

The shortage of child care options and lack of paid family leave in farming communities is, in a word, dire.

With no federally-mandated paid family leave policy, only 18 states have stepped up to guarantee some level of family leave. Everywhere else, a serious illness or medical procedure means folks have to take unpaid leave right when they most need the income.

New mothers take two financial hits. First, they have to take unpaid time off to give birth. Then, once they're ready to reenter the workforce, a lack of accessible, affordable childcare forces them to remain at home.

In fact, almost 60% of rural families are without access to child care – leaving parents piecing together help from family and friends, commuting to daycare in neighboring towns, and sitting on waitlists hoping their turn is next.

When millions of parents want to get back to work but can't, the U.S. economy as a whole can lose as much as $50 billion over a 10 year period. Rural economies are hit hardest, and families already struggling to put food on the table are strained even further.

As with so many of the problems in our country, rural Americans face unique challenges that require careful, intentional solutions. That's where One Country Project steps in. We're on the front lines, advancing a rural-minded agenda holding our elected officials accountable to folks in our communities.

The Farm Bill is one of the farthest-reaching policies Congress touches, and might be the most important in rural communities. And since it's only renewed every five years, we need to make sure we're ready to fight to make sure that folks like us are at the table when decisions are made.

Thanks for being in the fight with us. More soon.

Mike