Webinar feat. Two Members of Congress, Wholesome Wave: Discussing Local Food Systems & Farm Bill Priorities

By Ned Porter, Director of Regional and National Policy at Wholesome Wave

With a goal of growing and sustaining the food system in the Northeast, Wholesome Wave is collaborating with three other organizations, American Farmland Trust, Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, and New England Farmers Union to educate our combined constituencies and to undertake outreach with policy makers from the region. We will build on past successes and strengthen New England’s voice in the ongoing national discussion on the Farm Bill about priorities for our farm and food systems.

Webinars on conservation, and local and regional food systems were one of the first projects of the collaboration. I moderated the food systems webinar, held Monday, Dec. 19, which featured two members of Congress – Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree of Maine. Both of them are long-time friends of Wholesome Wave.

Congressman McGovern, a tireless fighter in the battle to end hunger, talked of the importance of protecting funding for SNAP and touched on the benefits of incentives as a means of improving access to and affordability of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) [Download Presentation]

Congresswoman Pingree described her bill – the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act, which would go a long way to improving federal support for the local food movement.

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) [Download Presentation]

Gus Schumacher, Executive Vice President of Policy, outlined our Farm Bill priorities – increased funding for nutrition incentives, and sensible reforms to programs important to improving access and affordability. Wholesome Wave’s 2012 Farm Bill Priorities

Gus Schumacher, Executive VP of Policy, Wholesome Wave  [Download Presentation]

Over the coming weeks and months expect to hear more from the collaboration – a Farm Bill Agenda for the Northeast, and concerted plan for outreach and education. And, as always, if you have any questions, please get in touch – ned@wholesomewave.org

Watch the video of  participant presentations and webinar here!

To download the other participant presentations, please click here.