For all press inquiries, including the use of images, please contact:
Beth Hauptle – Communications Manager, [email protected], 919.903.2525

Recent Press Releases

• RAFI-USA to hold Farmers of Color Network “Farmers and Buyers Connect” on July 13 (6/29/2021)
• USDA Debt Relief for BIPOC Farmers Halted by Temporary Restraining Order: Our response. (6/15/2021)
• RAFI-USA Announces 2022 Come To The Table Conference Plenary Speakers (6/15/2021)
• Announcing 50 Grantees for 2021 Farmers of Color Network Infrastructure Grants (5/3/2021)
• RAFI-USA’s Come to the Table program offers mini-grants supporting faith communities, farmers, and food insecure communities (5/3/2021)
• New Pilot Program Connects Faith Communities and Farmers of Color (3/5/2021)
• Booker and Warnock Bills Advance Justice for BIPOC Farmers (2/12/2021)
• RAFI-USA Statement in Support of Senator Amy Klobuchar’s Anti-trust Bill (2/8/2021)

Recent RAFI-USA Media Coverage

• More Than 25 Organizations File Amicus Brief To Release Wisconsin Order Halting $4 Billion In Loan Forgiveness For BIPOC Farmers, Idaho State Journal, June 24, 2001
• News Briefs: RAFI-USA announces ‘Come To The Table’ conference speakers, Chatham News + Record, June 24, 2021
• What will happen to USDA’s loan forgiveness for BIPOC farmers?, The Counter, Lela Nargi, June 18, 2021
• Triangle Farmers of Color Respond to Delayed Federal Aid, Indy Week, Ellie Heffernan, June 16, 2021
• Black And Minority Farmers Will Receive $4 Billion In Debt Relief. For Some, It’s A Lifeline. For Others, Too Little, Too Late, Forbes, Elena Botella, June 4, 2021
• What’s new in food: Green acres, green students and a Baby Bull on the loose, Mountain Express, Kay West, June 1, 2021
• Industry groups ask Congress to invest in climate ag package, Farms.com, May 31, 2021
• Reidsville Prepares for New Normal, Rockingham Now, May 9, 2021
• Regenerative agriculture needs a reckoning, The Counter, Joe Fassler, May 3, 2021
• After a Century of Dispossession, Black Farmers Are Fighting to Get Back to the Land, May/June issue, 2021
• Salisbury Human Relations Council offering online Racial Wealth Gap Simulation, April 23, 2021
• Summer Camp helps feed food insecure seniors, WITN-TV, April 20, 2021
• Farmers’ market set to open for season, The News Herald, April 15, 2021
• Challenging the Root Causes of Unjust Food Systems: A podcast interview with RAFI-USA Farmer Advocate Craig Watts, American Family Farmer, April 8, 2021 [NOTE: Interview 8:47-30:18]
• Black-Owned Farmland Is Disappearing. A New Wake County CSA Is Helping Stem the Tide, Indy Week, March 31, 2021
• Elizabeth Cook: Beloved dialogue brings races together, Salisbury Post, March 28, 2021
• The Climate Connection: Saving and sharing seeds: A local — and global — effort promotes resiliency, Napa Valley Register, March 22, 2021
• Come to the Table’s new CSA pairs three local farmers with eight Wake County churches, Talk of the Triangle: Cary and Midtown Magazine newsletter, March 11, 2021
• In March, Congress authorized a multibillion-dollar bailout for farms suffering losses because of the coronavirus pandemic, NeighborWebSJ, March 10, 2021
• Tahz Walker, Farmers of Color Network Senior Program Officer, talks to Food Tank Live’s Danielle Nierenberg, February 23, 2021
• Black-Owned Farms Are Holding on by a Thread, Eater, February 23, 2021
• Farmers Voice Support for Bill Tackling Monopoly Power, Public News Service, February 19, 2021 (distribution through Southeast U.S.)
• Biden’s Pick for Agriculture Secretary Splits Farming Community, Zenger News, February 19, 2021
• Pittsboro’s RAFI calling out antitrust violations in farming, Chatham News + Observer, February 17, 2021
• 2021 Farmers of Color Network Infrastructure Grant, Team Agriculture Georgia, February 16, 2021
• Senate Democrats Take Aim at Antitrust and Lack of Competition in Ag Markets, Daily Yonder, February 11, 2021
• How Will Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s Antitrust Bill Affect Agriculture?, Modern Farmer, February 11, 2021
• Grants to Church Food Pantries Promote Purchases from Local Farmers, Restaurants, Daily Yonder, February 5, 2021
• Farmers-of-Color Grant Program Triples Funding Pool and Expands Focus in the Southeast, Daily Yonder, February 4, 2021
• I’m a former poultry farmer. The meatpacking industry has failed workers during the pandemic and I’m not surprised by the deadly consequences, Business Insider, December 6, 2020
• NSAC Co-hosts Webinar on Black Farm Cooperatives, NSAC Blog, October 28, 2020
• Biden is Courting Black Farmers, but They’re Paving their Own Way to Justice – FoodPrint, October 20, 2020
• After Cooper backs down on executive order, NC worker advocates push for protection, News & Observer, September 18, 2020
• For Small Farms Surviving the Pandemic, Co-ops Are a Lifeline, Civil Eats, September 14, 2020
• Lawmakers, farmers of color criticize USDA’s new funding initiative, PoliticoPro, August 20, 2020
• Small farmers left behind in Trump administration’s COVID-19 relief package – NBC Universal, August 9, 2020
• Pittsboro-based advocacy group subsidizes local farms hurt by pandemic – Chatham News and Record, July 29, 2020
• Farm Aid distributes $400,000 to strengthen farmers impacted by COVID-19 – Agri News, June 30, 2020
• The government has earmarked billions to help farmers. There will be winners and losers. – NBC Universal, May 19, 2020
• Special Episode: Cultivating Resilience In Our Food System, NPR, May 15, 2020
• How farmers, consumers are rising to coronavirus challenges – AP, May 10, 2020
• How some NC farmers, and consumers, are rising to the challenges of COVID-19, News & Observer, May 4, 2020
• Open Markets and Allies Demand Antitrust Enforcement in Meat Industry to Protect Workers, Farmers – Common Dreams, May 1, 2020
• Op-ed: Don’t Blame Farmers Who Have to Euthanize Their Animals. Blame the Companies They Work For. – Civil Eats, April 30, 2020
• Faith leaders call for stronger worker protections at meatpacking plants – Fern Ag Insider, April 29, 2020
• When meat plants shutter, what happens to market-ready animals? – Food and Environment Reporting Network, April 28, 2020
• Dear governor: Farmworkers need your help – My Daily Record, April 24, 2020
• As growing season commences, health pandemic raises big concerns for NC ag industry, farmworkers – NC Policy Watch, March 26, 2020
• Small Farmers Hustle to Address Economic Fallout of Coronavirus – Daily Yonder, March 26, 2020
• Rising N.C. farm bankruptcies could signal broader rural crisis – Independent Tribune, February 7, 2020

2011 – 2019

• Farmers of Color and Buyers Connect, Morning Ag Clips, November 17, 2019
• Opinion: To Win in Rural Areas, Dems Must Take on Ag Monopolies – Daily Yonder, May 29, 2019
• Anchor Institutions of North Carolina: Rural Faith Leaders Gather in Burlington – EdNC, May 22, 2019
• Benny Bunting, Making Sure Farmers Have the Right To Survive – Farm Aid, Apr 23, 2019
• The Crazy Food Fight Over The Future of Vegetables – Men’s Health, Mar 28, 2019
• Building a just food system for all: Notes from RAFI’s Come to the Table conference – EdNC, Mar 25, 2019
• Farmers confront a mental health crisis – The Gazette, Mar 24, 2019
• Members of IEI Attend RAFI’s Come to the Table Conference in Charlotte – Institute for Emerging Issues, Mar 20, 2019
• American Farmers Confront a Mental Health Crisis – Bloomberg, Mar 20, 2019
• Organic Farmers Association Announces Newly Elected Governing Council and Policy Committee – Capital Press, Mar 11, 2019 
• The Race to Relearn Hemp Farming – Scientific American, Jan 18, 2019
• Nathaniel Rateliff’s Marigold Project Announces 2018 Grant Recipients – Westword, Jan 16, 2019
• As a New Congress Takes Office, it’s Time to Hit the Pause Button on Big Ag Mergers – Civil Eats, Jan 4, 2019
• Hurricane relief concert raises $325,000 – The Reflector, Nov 27, 2018
• Avett Brothers headlining Florence benefit concert Tuesday – WITN, Nov 13, 2018
• Five charities to benefit from Tuesday’s Avett show – The Daily Reflector, Nov 9, 2018
• What to Do With 4.2 Million Dead Poultry After Hurricane Florence? Turn Them Into Compost. – North Carolina Health News, Nov 5, 2018
• Avett Brothers’ hurricane relief concert will help the place they once called home – The News & Observer, Oct 30 2018
• In Sprawling Farm Bill, a $200 Million Corporate Research Subsidy Goes Unnoticed – The Progressive, Sep 25, 2018
• Here and Now September 24, 2018: Hour 2 – WBUR, Sep 24, 2018
• For Farmers, Florence Means Years Of Recovery And Loss Of Resilience – WBUR, Sep 24, 2018
• Hurricane Florence Threatens to Spread Hog Poop Over North Carolina – Wired, Sep 14, 2018
• For Farmers, the Impact of Florence Will Linger for Years – Daily Yonder, Sep 14, 2018
• Relief for Hurricane Florence – Charity Navigator, Sep 14, 2018
• The Rise of the Zombie Small Businesses – The Atlantic, Sep 4, 2018
• SNAP Expected to be Harder to Use at Some Farmers Markets – North Carolina Health News, July 18, 2018
• Starting In August, Farmers Markets Will Need Alternative To Process SNAP Benefits – WUNC, July 18, 2018
• RAFI’s Equity at the Table Speaker Series Comes to Wilmington – Dub City Heartbeat, March 22, 2018
• The Government’s Own Watchdog Says Massive Poultry Companies Are Exploiting Small Business Loans – Mother Jones, March 16, 2018
• Seeds Only a Plant Breeder Could Love, Until Now – New York Times, Feb 27, 2018
• Organic farmers launch effort for add-on label after disappointing NOSB actions – IEG Policy, Feb 26, 2018
• A learning ‘Agritunity’: Statesville event connects growers with experts – Statesville Record & Landmark, Jan 26, 2018
• Craft Brewers and Hop Industry Collaborate with Public Breeding – The Daily Yonder, Dec 18, 2017
• Analysis: The big consequence of the Amazon-Whole Foods deal no one’s talking about – The Chicago Tribune, Jun 30, 2017
• Valuing Farmers in the Whole Foods Acquisition – Food Tech Connect, Jun 21, 2017
• How Chicken Farmers Are Getting Clucked in a Supermarket Near You – Truthout, Jun 02, 2017
• 22 Inspirational Women in Food and Agriculture – FoodTank.org, Jun 2017
• Farm Aid highlights heroic work of farm advocates – Farmers Advance, May 31, 2017
• Randolph County farmer using pigs to clear land for cattle pasture – Fox News 8 (Greensboro, NC), May 30, 2017
• Film celebrates ‘farm advocates’ who fought back against rural crisis – The News & Observer, May 18, 2017
• Farm Aid Co-Founder John Mellencamp Hosts Premiere of ‘Homeplace Under Fire,’ Film Profiles Farming Activists – Billboard.com, May 18, 2017
• Farm advocate testifies on importance of USDA financing – Hortidaily, May 5, 2017
• Many Crop Farmers Searching for a Way to at Least Break Even – Agrinet News Network, May 2017
• Lowcountry growers could face the next flood with crop insurance – The Post and Courier, Oct. 14, 2015
• Poultry Farmers Watch the Sky – Coastal Review Online, Sep 9, 2015
• 3 Questions for Benny Bunting, Farm Advocate – Orion Magazine, Sep 3, 2015
• Autryville’s Buzz – The Sampson Weekly, Jul 17-23, 2015
• Summer Fare: Farmer’s market brings garden varieties downtown – The News Herald, Jul 18, 2015
• Save Your Seeds with Help from Olympia Food Co-op – Thurston Talk, Jul 6, 2015
• Eating in the Meantime: Food Justice Advocates Urged to Probe Deeper – NC Health News, Jun 10, 2015
• Judge Says No to Fracking – Eco Watch, May 21, 2015
• The Color of Food – Natasha Bowens, May 5, 2015
• Vendors to accept SNAP at Morganton Farmers Market – The News Herald, Apr 23, 2015
• There’s a Place That’s Nearly Perfect for Growing Food. It’s Not California. – Mother Jones, Apr 20, 2015
• Conference digs towards the root of hunger in WNC – Smoky Mountain News, Apr 1, 2015
• New Book Tells of Small, Rural Farmers Beating the Odds in Tobacco Country – Seedstock, Mar 12, 2015
• Florida Organic Growers to host agricultural cooperative planning meeting in Live Oak – Suwannee Democrat, Mar 9, 2015
• Railey: Farmer Pushes on for all the right reasons – Winston-Salem Journal, Feb 28, 2015
• Battle Over Breakfast: Consumer Groups Fight Cereal Merger – DailyFinance, Feb 20, 2015
• Conference on hunger at Elon next week – Times-News, Feb 19, 2015
• Advocates Urge FTC to Reject Post-MOM Brands Cereal Merger – Food Consumer, Feb 18, 2015
• Scene & Heard: On small beginnings and great achievement – Winston-Salem Journal, Feb 8, 2015
• SOS: Save our seeds – Sustainable Food Trust, Jan 23, 2015
• Seeds–The Battle for Sustainable Agriculture – Revolve Media, Winter 2014/15, Revolve #14
• Participants express concern over USDA’s coexistence meeting – Agri-Pulse, Dec 24, 2014
• New Report Finds Farmers Harmed by Decline in Seed Supply – ProAg News, Nov 5, 2014
• Project aims to increase sales, food stamp use at farmers markets – Smoky Mountain News, Oct 29, 2014
• ASAP, RAFI-USA launch program to increase farmers market sales – Mountain XPress, Oct 20, 2014
• Food Justice Certified label aims to verify fair treatment of farm laborers, others in food chain – Food Navigator-USA, Sep 26, 2014
• Farm Aid comes to North Carolina – Carolina Connection, Sep 13, 2014
• Market’s Double Bucks program helps feed families – Chapel Hill News, Aug 19, 2014
• Driller apparently wants to frack Meadowmont in Chapel Hill – INDY Week’s News Blog, Jul 23, 2014
• Fracking company makes offers in Durham – INDY Week’s News Blog, Jul 22, 2014
• The Future of Food: Six things you should know about the state of the American farm – OnEarth Magazine, Jul 7, 2014
• Interview with RAFI Just Foods Director Michael Sligh – Lexicon of Sustainability, Summer 2014
• First Food Justice Certified Farm and Food Stores in New York – Cornell Small Farms Program, Summer 2014
• DFM seeks to help SNAP/EBT Customers – The Herald Sun, Jun 7, 2014
• Tyson Foods Chairman Joins Billionaires Club, While Wages For Chicken Farmers Wane – BuzzFeed, May 13, 2014
• Two farmers’ markets in Durham begin accepting SNAP benefits – The Herald Sun, Apr 26, 2014
• Lee County landowners fight fracking – Carolina Connection, Mar 27, 2014
• As Commodity Farmers Shift Course, a Library to Collect Their Stories – Civil Eats, Mar 25, 2014
• Like Sustainable Food? Support Public Plant Breeding. – Civil Eats, Mar 5, 2014
• The Future of Farming is Open Source – MAKE Magazine, Mar 3, 2014
• The System Supplying America’s Chickens Pits Farmer Vs. Farmer – NPR Morning Edition, Feb 20, 2014
• This Holiday, Farmers Report Consumers Are Shopping Locally for Food – Public News Service (radio), Dec 13, 2013
• Government Shutdown Harms Family Farms – Huffington Post, Oct 2, 2013
• GMO Field Trials: Contamination Concerns – The Epoch Times, Sep 11, 2013
• Fracking rule gets new scrutiny – The Pilot, Sep 3, 2013
• Dixon Family Farms – Our State Magazine, Aug 13, 2013
• Scott Marlow Discusses Global Food Security – CCTV America, Jul 22, 2013
• Put it in your pipe and grow it: Former tobacco farms evolve – Grist Magazine, May 17, 2012
• Our Dwindling Food Variety – National Geographic, Jul 2011

For a complete list of media coverage, click here for all press clips.

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