Boyd Testifies American Farmers And Ranchers Essential To Solving Farm Crisis, Avoiding Food Crisis

Washington, DC

On July 19, 2022 at 2PM EST Kara Brewer Boyd (Lumbee), President of the Association of American Indian Farmers (AAIF) testified at the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on the Environment's hearing “Regenerative Agriculture: How Farmers and Ranchers are Essential to Solving Climate Change and Increasing Food Production.” Kara and her husband, civil rights activist John W. Boyd, Jr, Founder and President of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA), are regenerative farmers in Virginia.

Regenerative agriculture is the solution to the current farm crisis. Witnesses shared how regenerative agriculture practices are addressing the climate crisis while protecting our country's food supply to avoid a food crisis.

Indigenous people have utilized regenerative farming practices, from no-till and companion planting to crop rotations and pollinating buffer strips, long before industrial agriculture became the dominant system in the U.S. rooted in good land stewardship, these practices were born out of the simple intention of caring for the next seven generations - remember to take some, leave some, and there will always be some for future generations.

Congress must reform and amend federal policies to ensure America’s family farmers and ranchers have “climate” stewardship programs that don’t overwhelmingly favor corporate agribusiness. We can make farming and ranching profitable again, and for future generations, but supporting regenerative agriculture through federal policy action.

Ms. Boyd was accompanied by Ms. Abigail Flores, Public Policy Coordinator (NBFA/AAAIF); Shereen Waterlily (Mattaponi), Community Activist and Indigenous farmer; and Dr. Leslie Rodriguez-McClellon, Senior VP of Student Experience and Operation at St. Augustine's University. The Boyd’s recently entered an M.O.U. with St. Augustine's University to advance equity and civil rights in agriculture.

“We call upon our fellow farmers, neighbors and friends to join us at 2 pm (EST) in support of family farmers as we ‘ReClaim, ReGain and ReGenerate Our Farms,’.”

Donate NOW to support the Association of American Indian Farmers and National Black Farmers Association. We are 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations providing advocacy, outreach and direct technical assistance to Black and other minority as well as small-scale family farmers.

Regenerate America™ is an unprecedented grassroots campaign to ensure support for regenerative agriculture in the 2023 Farm Bill and beyond. Regenerate America™ is designed to unite citizens, farmers, ranchers, landowners, non-profits, and companies around the idea that soil is our common ground and that our future is dependent on the actions that we take today. With new excitement for soil health on both sides of the aisle, now is the time to build massive political will to create change in our food system. Together, we can do this.

Farmers Kara Brewer Boyd and John Boyd, Jr., along with RIPE board President Curt Mether, discuss why it's so important to bringing a diverse group of producers to the table to give their input on Regenerative Agriculture.