The COG Food and Agriculture Regional Member Policy Committee (FARM) had a productive spring, engaging leaders in several key initiatives to support local and regional food systems. These included hosting a third annual forum at USDA headquarters, organizing an all-day Regional Food Aggregation and Distribution Summit, and sending letters to Congress to advocate for regional priorities in the 2024 Farm Bill.

Forum at USDA headquarters

Officials from across metropolitan Washington gathered at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) headquarters on April 12 to discuss priorities and federal programs to increase healthy food access, food production, and resilience across local and regional food systems.

The forum began with a FARM overview by Chair Jon Stehle, a City of Fairfax Councilmember, who shared the collaborative efforts made with partners from across the region to create a more resilient, connected food and farm economy. Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks joined the discussion by stating, “In most states, the largest industry in the economy is agriculture,” as he acknowledged local farming as an indispensable source of food production. Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Deputy Commissioner Charles Green echoed Secretary Atticks’ sentiments and stressed the importance of engaging with producers to support and connect them to the right resources.

Dr. Patty Bennett, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Regional Administrator for the Mid-Atlantic Region, emphasized the critical need to improve access to nutritious food. She updated officials on programs such as school meals, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the new Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program for Children (SUN bucks), which will provide additional support for children’s nutrition—a priority for FARM committee members.

Following Dr. Bennett's presentation, National Agricultural Statistics Service Acting Administrator Joseph Parsons shared key findings from the 2022 Census of Agriculture. He reported a decrease in the number of farms in the United States, down 6.9 percent from 2017, while the average farm size increased by 5 percent. In the U.S., farms still account for 39 percent of all land, totaling 880.1 million acres. In the COG region, farms rose slightly from 4,368 in 2017 to 4,430 in 2022. At the same time, the amount of land in farms continued to decrease from 480,281 to 473,370 acres.

USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Director Brian V. Guse and Agricultural Marketing Service Associate Administrator Dr. Melissa R. Bailey provided insights into key federal investments and programs supporting resilient and climate-friendly food systems in metropolitan Washington. Guse highlighted competitive grants for urban farms and emphasized how federal farm programs aim to eliminate barriers in urban agricultural business. FARM Chair Jon Stehle noted that many agricultural jobs offer economic opportunities for people without college degrees and for those individuals who want to “create with their hands.”

The meeting wrapped up with a conversation regarding next steps for FARM, which include continual collaboration and information sharing as well as implementing FARM's Strategic Plan. FARM Chair Jon Stehle and Vice Chairs Zachary Parker and Andrew Friedson sent a thank you letter to USDA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for External and Intergovernmental Affairs, Rudy Soto, for hosting the Forum. USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture is a confirmed presenter at FARM’s next meeting on June 14. COG will ensure that FARM members are aware and able to access the federal programs discussed during the forum and that local governments are informed about available federal grant and resource opportunities.

Regional Food Aggregation and Distribution Summit

On May 17, the COG FARM Policy Committee convened FARM work groups and stakeholders to develop a shared understanding of the state of the region’s food aggregation and distribution systems, which are essential stages of the food supply chain where products are gathered and moved to their distribution points to ensure food access. In this case, access to local and regional food. During the summit, stakeholders identified main barriers to progress and opportunities for collaboration on supply chain development to grow the amount of regional food products on residents and visitors’ plates.

The discussion began with insights about what the metropolitan Washington region grows. Following a presentation from HSEMA Program Analyst Riley Piva, stakeholders then collaborated in small groups to identify local and regional food supply chain projects and assets. After this group activity, four farm and food leaders highlighted diverse projects and initiatives that enhance the metropolitan Washington food supply chain. For example, Madelyn Smith, Executive Director of the Common Grain Alliance (CGA), shared CGA’s work to connect farmers with peers, millers, bakers, and other consumers to capitalize on the increased appetite for locally grown wheat for flour, rice, and other grains that families eat. Increasing local grain production, processing, and distribution also requires additional infrastructure.

The summit fostered collaboration through the World Café activity, where participants engaged in small-group conversations to take a deeper look at key issues identified earlier in the day. To conclude the summit, participants shared and reflected on a day filled with building important relationships and learning about new initiatives, projects, and tools that can improve the region’s capacity to provide for more of its own food needs.  

FARM committee’s ongoing commitment to agriculture and food security

The COG FARM Policy Committee commits to addressing critical issues such as food security, farmland access, urban agriculture, and working with food and farm stakeholders from across metropolitan Washington to share funding opportunities and identify ways to leverage additional federal resources.

The committee submitted a letter to the Senate and House Agriculture Committees regarding its Farm Bill 2024 Reauthorization Priorities. The letter stressed the significance of the bill and the need to increase funding and programs to address land access challenges and provide culturally relevant outreach, technical assistance, and lower barriers to accessing federal resources for new and beginning Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) farmers. Additionally, it called for increased funding for SNAP benefits and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)’s Farm to Food Bank Program. Read the full letter here.

Through these various initiatives, FARM committee leaders aim to equip farmers and other food supply chain actors with the necessary tools and resources for a food-secure and resilient metropolitan Washington region, ensuring the long-term health and prosperity of the region’s local communities.