Help Virginia’s Family Farms Feed More Virginians: Now’s the Time

I’m writing to ask for your leadership in helping Virginia’s family farms stay strong and in making it easier for the food they grow to feed Virginians directly. With the rising cost of packaged food (driven in part by new tariffs), families are feeling the pinch at the grocery store. But we have a powerful, local solution: keep more farmland in production and make it easier for Virginians to buy from Virginia farmers. This is the moment to act. By investing in local food systems, we can: • Help family farms survive the pressure to sell • Make fresh, local food more affordable and accessible • Strengthen our food security during global supply chain disruptions Other states are already showing what works: • Minnesota’s Beginning Farmer Tax Credit has helped over 800 farmers transition their land to the next generation while keeping it in agriculture. • New York’s Nourish NY program redirects surplus food from local farms to food banks and schools, supporting both farmers and families. • Vermont’s Farm to Plate Network helped boost local food sales by over $100 million through coordinated investments in food hubs, grants, and marketing. • California offers grants for mobile markets and cold storage that help farmers reach food deserts and EBT/SNAP customers. We can do this in Virginia too. I hope you’ll champion smart, timely policies like: • Expanded land use and transition support to help family farms stay in business and pass down to the next generation • CSA subsidies and mobile farmers’ markets that bring fresh food to neighborhoods and schools, especially where grocery prices are soaring • Local food procurement targets for public schools, colleges, and state agencies • Tax credits or marketing help for small retailers and restaurants who source from Virginia farms These steps don’t just support farmers; they give all of us better, fresher food and keep our dollars in our communities. This is a hopeful path forward. We have the land, the talent, and the public will. We just need strong policy leadership to make the local food economy work for everyone. I’d love to see you be one of the voices leading this charge.