Public policy education program

Farmer displays clover from the SARE program.

The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute works to reform state and federal government policy to support agriculture that is good for the environment, public health and rural and urban communities. To accomplish this we work in coalition with farmers, environmentalists, policymakers and other sustainable agriculture organizations.

MFAI staff coordinates the nationwide grassroots campaign to secure federal funding for the sustainable agriculture movement, through the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture. To do this we collaborate with many other partners, including the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the five regional Sustainable Agriculture Working Groups, and many other local, state and national groups. Our campaign has resulted in protecting scores of millions of dollars for the movement. We also work on other federal policies, including development and implementation of the 2007 Farm Bill.

At the state level, we have helped create keystone programs for the sustainable agriculture movement. We currently work on the following issues:

On-farm conservation: Conservation Security Program implementation
Rural economic development and entrepeneurism: Value Added Producer Grant Program implementation; outreach to underserved farmers
Managed grazing: Research and outreach on barriers to managed grazing
Food systems: Creation and implementation of the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program
Farmland protection: Participation in Governor's Working Lands Initiative Taskforce

We are members of the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture and the Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group.

Farm Bill becomes law: new resources for sustainable food & farming

Congress recently took final action on the 2008 Farm Bill by overriding President’s Bush’s veto of the bill. While the failure of Congress to fundamentally reform commodity programs perpetuates many problems with current U.S. farm policy, the bill does include important building blocks for a more balanced and sustainable food and farm policy. Read the full article for some of the highlights of the 2008 Farm Bill.
» Read the full article

Mobile meat processing: making the local food connection

Small, local, inspected meat processing facilities are often an invisible link in a sustainable food and farming system. Local processors are of critical importance if we want to conserve our diverse farming landscape, support farm families and rural economies, insure humane harvesting of livestock and poultry, and have choice in what we eat and where we buy it.
» Read the full article

Conservation Security Program Opens in Milwaukee River Watershed, 52 Watersheds Nationwide

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the long awaited signup for the Conservation Security Program will begin on April 18, 2008 in 52 watersheds, including the Milwaukee River Watershed in Wisconsin. The Conservation Security Program is the country’s only green payments program, which rewards farmers for their practices that promote clean water, air and wildlife habitat on their farms.
» Read the full article

MFAI launches new initiative to reach underserved farmers

MFAI proudly announces a new project, funded by USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA), which pays experienced grantwriters to assist farmers in submitting grant proposals to federal agencies to support their work. The project places priority on serving socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, whom RMA describes as belonging to "a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identity as a member of the group without regard to their individual qualities. SDA groups are women, African Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders." Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.
» More information

Conservation Security Program drives resource management

Terraces and no-till farming work to control erosion. - photo courtesy of USDA NRCS

A report released by a coalition of Midwest farm organizations finds that the Conservation Security Program is spurring new agricultural conservation in the Midwest. Farmers enrolled in the Conservation Security Program are taking advantage of the program's incentives by adding new practices to their farms that protect natural resources. (Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS)
» Press release | Full report

The future of managed grazing in Wisconsin

Studies show that by rotating cows through pasture for their primary forage, farmers can reduce their input and labor costs, increase profits, and enjoy a more satisfying lifestyle. What, then, is keeping Wisconsin farmers from adopting managed grazing? A report by Michael Fields Agricultural Institute reveals the barriers to managed grazing in Wisconsin and recommends ways in which they may be overcome. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture photo archive).
» News release | Download the full report [pdf 810kb]

Please check out our latest MFAI newsletter for an update on our work. Sign up here if you would like to receive the newsletter by e-mail.

Some helpful links

National:

Wisconsin: