Jan. 2020 🐝 Food & Farming Policy News

On By North Carolina Small Farm AssociationIn Uncategorized

Don’t miss CFSA’s food and farming questions to ask before the primaries!

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Dear Rebecca,

Happy New Year from CFSA’s policy team!

We’re excited about this important upcoming election year. Last month, we launched our 2020 Questions for Candidates (more info below) as a resource for eaters and voters. We encourage you to ask candidates running for elected office these questions, either at public forums or at your own non-partisan candidate forum. Prefer to write? Questions can also be sent directly to candidates, asking for their responses on the issues you care about (and perhaps also requesting their permission to share their responses with the public).

Along with our partners at Community Food Strategies, CFSA created a toolkit, which has been used by several food councils and community groups across the country to organize their own candidate events, including a gubernatorial forum in Maine, and build relationships with public officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

Want help planning a non-partisan candidate forum in 2020? Along with Community Food Strategies, our policy team wants to support your community group or food council in exploring the idea of hosting your own forum. We’re available for a phone consultation and preliminary planning support. Availability for supporting groups may reach capacity, so please email us soon if you’re interested.

  • If you’re in NC, email me at jared.
  • If you’re in SC, email Matt at matt.48f0764c-0c36-4389-bb5c-a48f07276134.png

Stay engaged,
Jared

Jared Cates, Community Mobilizer
Mark Your Calendars with 2020 Election Dates!
Since 2020 is an election year, mark your calendars with your state’s election dates (SC’s election calendar, NC’s election calendar).

South Carolina:

  • Jan. 30: SC voter registration deadline (presidential primary)
  • Feb. 29: Democratic Presidential Primary
  • May 8: SC voter registration deadline (state primary)
  • June 9: Primary Election Day 2020

North Carolina:

  • Feb. 7: NC voter registration deadline (state primary)
  • Mar. 3: Primary Election Day 2020
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
In December, NC Farm Bureau Federation elected its first new president in 20 years!

Beaufort County farmer, Shawn Harding now presides over both the Federation and the NC Farm Bureau Insurance Company. His family farm, Southside Produce, transitioned from tobacco into a mixed row-crop, fruit, and vegetable operations in the late Nineties and they sell directly to many in the Chocowinity area. Southside Produce received GAPs technical assistance through CFSA in the past and sells to Beaufort County schools.

Take a few minutes and learn a little more about Shawn in his own words.