OEFFA Policy Fellow Launches New Guide: ‘Navigating the Agricultural Landscape’
Jennifer Lumpkin lives and grows in Cleveland, Ohio. Drawing from her experiences as a food systems advocate and beginning farmer, she has prepared an all-encompassing guide as our second OEFFA Policy Fellow.
Navigating the Agricultural Landscape provides a firsthand look at the processes involved in communicating with agricultural departments, better understanding farmer support programs, and advocating within various levels of government.
Navigating the Agricultural Landscape
The guide features four narrative-based case studies to support readers in working with local public health agencies, obtaining a farm number from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), applying for popular conservation programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and engaging with congressional decision-makers.
The tool was developed through the lens of sole proprietorship, food policy leadership, collective and independent advocacy, and general education and guidance. It demystifies processes and governmental structures by providing definitions to commonly used acronyms, sharing answers to frequently asked questions, and including clickable links for further learning.
A Conduit for Beginners and Experienced Food System Participants Alike
The hope of the guide’s author “was to independently and collectively advocate for a more supportive, transparent, and guided network providing the proximity and clarity in not only Northeast Ohio but across the state and region for a diverse population of growers.”
Hear more about her motivations and the contents of the guide in this short video: