By Siena Chrisman, Programs Communications Manager

Last month, I went to Omaha, Nebraska, for the summer meeting of the National Family Farm Coalition, a longtime WhyHunger partner. NFFC members came from as close as Iowa and as far as Mississippi and coastal Massachusetts, in the middle of one of the worst droughts in living memory. Most brought stories of how the drought was affecting them — dairy farmers, especially, are hard hit as their pastures are drying up and they have to buy feed for cattle in a way they wouldn’t usually do until the winter. The question of how they will continue to afford to buy feed through until next spring hung in the air, frighteningly unanswered. (Our partner and NFFC member, Family Farm Defenders, is raising funds for affected farmers here.) The meeting, naturally, focused largely on the drought and possible policy responses, as well as the ongoing Food and Farm Bill negotiations, and several developing campaigns against Big Food’s excessive control over our food system.

Enjoy this glimpse of the dinner we enjoyed at Branched Oak Farm — and stay tuned for more on these upcoming campaigns, and how you can help struggling farmers!