On February 26th, 2025, Kaitlyn Kimball advocated on Capitol Hill as part of NFFC’s annual fly-in. Photo courtesy of author.

Today’s guest blog post was written by Kaitlyn Kimball, fruit and vegetable farmer and founder of Sunset Farms in Naugatuck, Connecticut. NFFC was honored to welcome her as the delegate from CT NOFA for our coalition’s annual D.C. fly-in, where we advocate for fair and equitable farm policies on Capitol Hill.

I do a lot of walking as a farmer. I walk our fields to look for pests and disease. I walk rows of crops to pick peppers, squash, and tomatoes. I walk to greenhouses to check on seedlings. This week my worn leather boots that are usually caked in dirt or soaked from irrigation walked the halls of the Senate and House buildings in Washington DC, to deliver a call to action: protect farmland for future generations and restore contractual payments to farmers and non profit organizations.

My trip to Washington was organized by the National Family Farm Coalition as a part of their ongoing efforts to support the viability of small to mid sized farms. I am grateful to this organization for hosting my trip as I represented the Connecticut Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, the New Connecticut Farmer Alliance, Sunset Farm, and my work at CitySeed with other farmers and service providers from across the nation. Our priority was to advocate for legislation titled the “Farmland for Farmers Act”, which would enact federal regulations against corporate farmland purchase. Farmland access continues to cripple underserved farmers, including new and beginning, female, and BIPOC growers. Without federal regulation and more protections in place, we believe that corporate land grabs will continue to drive up the price of land and box out the next generation of producers. In Connecticut alone, we’ve lost over 20,000 acres of farmland to urban development since 2021. 

As I walked to and from eleven legislative offices, my mission was clear- to advocate for land access, as well as humanize the negative impacts of the federal funding freezes

As I walked to and from eleven legislative offices, my mission was clear- to advocate for land access, as well as humanize the negative impacts of the federal funding freezes. Over the course of two days, we met with Democrat and Republican offices across the Senate and House, including the majority of the Connecticut delegation. My group members and I were committed to advocating for the “Farmland for Farmers Act,” but we felt compelled to use this time with our representatives to respond to this critical moment of frozen funding of USDA programs that assist farmers and non profits. My story centered on my farm’s NRCS CSP contract pause, leaving more than $15,000 intended for conservation practices like cover cropping and native plantings inaccessible to our farm. CitySeed’s federal Local Food Promotion Program Grant, representing 21% of our budget, has been frozen since the new administration entered office, halting our work with local farmers and food entrepreneurs. These stories are unfortunately not uncommon, as I learned from my group members that farmers and other organizations are also negatively impacted in Kentucky, Iowa, Mississippi, and North Carolina. 

Kaitlyn met with staffers from the office of Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT). Photo courtesy of author.

I am grateful to the staff of Senator Murphy, Senator Blumenthal, Congresswoman DeLauro, and Congresswoman Hayes for hosting myself and other NFFC members to hear our stories. The Connecticut delegation cares about farmers, they care about nutrition benefits, and they care about the local economy. I felt seen and heard expressing my farm’s barriers to land access in Connecticut, as well as the recent pause of our NRCS CSP contract. Our Connecticut representatives are deeply concerned with these issues, as well as the broader state of democracy and how this affects all Connecticut residents.  While I should not have to defend my role as a farmer and prove that supporting local food is beneficial for our society, knowing our Connecticut members of Congress have our backs as they walk the halls of the Capital helps me persist in this work. 

As I trek to the train in my boots to head home, I feel energized in my commitment to advocacy work, but also realize that proximity to power is just one strategy to employ for change. Sitting in Congressional offices was exciting, memorable, and impactful, but there is also ample opportunity for power in our local communities. I am compelled to bring back the message that Congresswoman Alma Adams from North Carolina stressed to us, that “Diversity makes us strong. Our differences give us power.” We must remain focused on our collective mission of strengthening our communities. Now more than ever we must continue to invest in local organizations, mutual aid, and businesses to create a network of resilience and support in the face of racism, classism, and other threats to our dignity. 

Sitting in Congressional offices was exciting, memorable, and impactful, but there is also ample opportunity for power in our local communities.

Tomorrow back at the farm, I will walk to one of our greenhouses to start the first seeds of the year. Now more than ever, I continue to view growing food for my community as an act of resistance against the many forms of oppression and hurtful “isms” we encounter. Producers, consumers and supporters of farmers and food businesses must continue to work to create a local food system that can withstand the shocks of uncertainty that new administrations, pandemics, weather events, and other unprecedented circumstances bring. I reject and encourage you to reject the notion that the USDA programs funding farmers and non profits are fat to be trimmed or wasteful spending, but investments in the future of our communities. 

Food remains a common language between cultures and generations. Farmers and organizations like the NFFC, NOFA, NCTFA, and CitySeed are threading the needle between producer and consumer, creating a resilient local food system. 

Kaitlyn was joined by farmers and advocates from around the country. L-R: Stephanie Enloe, Mary Henderson, Icy Ford, Ben Burkett, Kaitlyn Kimball, and NFFC staffer Jordan Treakle. Photo courtesy National Family Farm Coalition.