In my inaugural article for Medium, I discussed various underappreciated intersections between agriculture and significant political issues such as healthcare, education, climate change, and trade policy.

The 2018 Farm Bill introduced essential initiatives, including the Office of Urban Agriculture & Innovative Production and the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP). As we approach 2023, we have the opportunity to capitalize on these innovations and secure USDA funding for a forward-thinking agricultural strategy that serves all Americans.

Food security is a critical national concern, fundamental to our capacity to sustain ourselves and our allies. This fact is often overlooked.

Historically, the Farm Bill has been a rare instance of bipartisan agreement in Congress, as both Republicans and Democrats recognize the importance of supporting rural workers and nutrition programs to their constituents.

USDA officials serve as the nation's regulators of food safety, determining the extent of local governance's authority over agricultural experimentation, ranching practices, and sustainable homesteading.

This second part of my inaugural piece outlines recommendations for the upcoming renewal of the U.S. Farm Bill, coinciding with the 2024 Presidential Primary season.

For politicians facing challenging reelection bids, implementing these ideas could elevate your status among voters in your districts. Conversely, political challengers aiming to unseat ineffective incumbents can leverage the #AgriWarrior narrative to highlight their opponents' shortcomings.

I propose several policy measures to be integrated into the 2023 Farm Bill, particularly in the realm of agricultural research:

• Incorporate elements from U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree’s Agriculture Resilience Act (H.R. 5861).
• Substantially boost federal funding for the USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture & Innovative Production, the Organic Agriculture Research & Extension Initiative (OREI), and the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI).
• Initiate a research program through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) focused on cultivating microbially enriched soil while enhancing agricultural reserves.
• Advance studies on pollinator protection by enhancing Integrated Pest Management Practices.
• Establish a national research initiative aimed at developing strategies for the conservation of wild bee populations.
• Widen eligibility criteria for the National Institute of Food & Agriculture (NIFA) programs.
• Increase research initiatives through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to discover safe, non-toxic pesticide and herbicide alternatives.
• Create a dedicated mission area within the USDA that focuses solely on research, economic development, and entrepreneurial support for marine permaculture.
• Invest significantly in fiber processing research for biodegradable packaging materials derived from agricultural waste, chitosan, bamboo, hemp, cellulose, palm leaf, casein (non-food), seaweed, beeswax, pressed hay, bagasse, spider silk, mycelium roots, biowaste sugars, and more.

Furthermore, we can transform agricultural funding distribution by implementing the following structural reforms:

• Provide tax incentives for farmers cultivating long-term perennial crops.
• Offer tax credits to local agricultural startups or existing farms expanding their operations.
• Limit the size of farms eligible for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) grants to prevent larger producers from monopolizing resources.
• Increase funding for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
• Allocate grants for eco-friendly restoration projects targeting deserts, plateaus, and wetlands.
• Reinstate Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) standards and introduce new Country-of-Processing Labeling (COPL) guidelines to enhance consumer food safety.
• Implement supply management strategies to reduce excess commodity surpluses.
• Revise the Dairy Margin Coverage Program to include moderate price limits and a federal inventory management system alongside tax-deferred savings accounts.
• Prohibit lobbyists and their associates from utilizing commodity check-off program funds.
• Adjust guidelines for terminating cover crops through the Risk Management Agency (RMA) to align with Good Farming Practices (GFPs).
• Establish an open-source seed-saving initiative.

Additionally, empowering local and state governments to build self-sufficiency tools is essential. The federal government can facilitate this by:

• Expanding regional cooperatives and Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) through the Local Agriculture Market Program established by the 2018 Farm Bill, providing resources for these cooperatives to establish their farmers’ markets.
• Funding “urban food forests” and “agri-hoods” modeled after successful initiatives in cities like Atlanta and Detroit.
• Utilizing Dr. Dickson Despommier’s proposed blueprint for state-based vertical farming pilot programs.
• Codifying a more localized version of The PRIME Act to support smaller ranchers and livestock-generating CSAs that wish to use USDA-inspected mobile meat-processing units in underserved areas.
• Mapping informal “prairie zones” to guide beekeepers in safely managing their hives.
• Lifting federal restrictions on rainwater capture in states where it is currently limited.
• Amending federal laws to ease local restrictions on hobby farming.
• Offering competitive grants for mobile gardening services that cater to rural areas as well as urban centers.
• Launching a public education initiative to cultivate a volunteer network of “Citizen Gardeners” focused on growing nutrient-rich plants in residential gardens.
• Officially designating October as Farmer & Rancher History Month.

Critics may argue that these proposals unfairly favor certain sectors of our economy. However, they overlook a crucial point…

The collapse of our food systems would mean that we all face dire consequences.

I urge President Biden to form a comprehensive National Agri-Sustainability Advisory Board dedicated to advancing and publicizing new agricultural initiatives. This commission should encompass diverse ethnicities, regions, and generations, including restaurateurs, policy advocates, and entrepreneurs whose experiences span these domains.

I have several food innovators in mind who would be excellent candidates for this board, including José Andrés, Leah Penniman, Dan Barber, Toni Tipton-Martin, David Chang, A’dae Romero-Briones, Gabe Brown, Danielle Nierenberg, Vikas Khanna, Camilla Marcus, Ido Savir, Regina Bernard-Carreño, Seth Watkins, Roshara Sanders, Brian Canlis, Sanushka Naidoo, Damon Gameau, Shafinaz Hossain, and Sara Menker.

Examining how local activists have mobilized, Maine and Vermont stand out as states that have begun to revitalize their food systems in innovative ways. Not every state needs to replicate the agricultural models employed by Mainers and Vermonters verbatim; however, it is noteworthy that Maine boasts a younger average age among its farmers.

If we genuinely aim to bridge the generational divide and foster intergenerational cooperation, why not start with agriculture? It is the backbone of our economy…quite literally.

The Biden/Harris Administration has an exceptional opportunity to redefine the perception of farming. New business opportunities can emerge for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and APIDA farmers, as well as for women and LGBTQ+ individuals interested in urban homesteading. We can cultivate a new generation of agricultural leaders who are diverse, neurodiverse, and represent various faiths.

By establishing new resources and entrepreneurial pathways for farmers in rural, suburban, and urban settings alike, the 2023 Farm Bill can become a far-reaching bipartisan effort that benefits everyone. Legislators from all regions can return agricultural prosperity to their constituents, enhancing their reelection prospects.

Transforming the narrative is just the beginning. The journey starts with agri-sustainability initiatives that can forge a long-overdue Rural/Urban Alliance in the United States.

As President Biden frequently emphasizes the importance of healing the nation’s heart and soul, he should acknowledge that ensuring food security is essential for our collective health and resilience.

Everyone desires affordable, nutritious, and accessible food in their homes. If problem-solvers propose tangible solutions to achieve this goal, we can dismantle the misconception that groceries simply appear on supermarket shelves.

Become an #AgriWarrior. Urge your U.S. Representative and Senators to support these initiatives. When collaborating with fellow activists, remind them of agriculture's pervasive influence on numerous critical issues we often mistakenly view as isolated.

The lives at stake are…all of ours!