Breakfast Club Webinars, Events, Policy

July 2024 – Farm Bill Panel: 101 and More

Farm Bill:

101 and More

Webinar
100 Rural Women Breakfast Club Logo

Overview

Farm Bill Panel: 101 and More

What is the Farm Bill? How does it affect our lives and communities? What progress has been made toward passing the next Farm Bill? And how can we stay informed and take action as our Members of Congress continue negotiating this multi-faceted piece of legislation?

In this fast hour, we discussed these questions and more, including key issues in the rural development, conservation and food assistance sections of the Farm Bill. Joining our panel to share their knowledge and on-the-ground experience are four rural women leaders.

New farm bills are passed every five years and can have impact for decades. We hope you can join us for this real-time update on policymaking that significantly impacts rural America.

As always, we share resources and opportunities for action at the end!

Held Tuesday, July 30 @12:00 Noon CT

Kalee Olson
Policy Manager, Farm and Conservation with the Center for Rural Affairs

Kalee joined the Center in April 2021 as a policy organizer focusing on working lands conservation programs. In her new role as policy manager, Kalee oversees the Center’s agriculture and conservation portfolio, working directly with federal lawmakers to strengthen the Conservation Stewardship Program, Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, and other farm bill programs that impact producers and rural communities. Kalee also manages a small cow-calf operation on her family’s farm, which has been a model of conservation practices for more than 20 years.

Rachel Holmes
Program Director, Advocacy and Community Engagement with The Food Group

Rachel has a career spanning over a decade, Rachel has dedicated herself to addressing food insecurity and championing systems change and social justice. She spent 10 years at Hunger Solutions Minnesota, where she most recently served as the Associate Director. In her current role, Rachel works to develop meaningful connections and partnerships to drive impactful policy change.  Rachel’s commitment to food as a fundamental human right began early in her career as a SNAP Outreach Associate, where she connected Minnesotans in need with vital nutrition programs. Her experiences on the Minnesota Food Helpline, where she listened to the stories of those seeking help, fueled her passion for creating a more inclusive and just food system for all.

Wendy Johnson
Federal Policy Co-Lead, Climate Land Leaders

Wendy is a wife and a mother to a daughter and a lot of furry animals. She leads Climate Land Leaders’ work on federal agricultural policy. Wendy grows corn, soybeans and small grains with her father on Centerview Farms and organic grains, hay, sheep, cattle, pigs and wool with her husband and daughter on Jóia Food and Fiber Farm in Charles City, IA. She is the chair of the USDA Farm Service Agency state committee in Iowa and works for markets for her farm’s products through Counting Sheep Sleep Company and 99 Counties. She loves walking in the woods and hosting multicultural experiences on their farm.

Colleen Landkamer
Minnesota State Director USDA Rural Development

Colleen Landkamer was appointed in 2022 by President Biden to serve a second term as the Minnesota State Director for USDA Rural Development. She was first appointed by President Obama to serve as State Director for Minnesota in 2009 and continued this service for eight years through the end of the Administration. Landkamer began her career in public service back in 1988 when she was first elected to the Blue Earth County Board of Commissioners. She served Blue Earth County as a Commissioner for 25 years. Landkamer has an enormous passion and energy for rural communities. Under her leadership and appointments, USDA has invested over $8 billion in Minnesota’s rural communities. Her dedication to rural has no boundaries, from her involvement in forming the National Association of Counties Rural Action Caucus (RAC) in 1998 to serving as NACo President in 2006-2007.

meet our webinar partners

The Center for Rural Affairs is a private non-profit organization that advocates for policies that create a vibrant future for rural communities. Through policy, lending, and community engagement, we work  to establish strong rural communities, social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, and genuine opportunity for all while engaging people in decisions that affect the quality of their lives.

The Climate Land Leaders Initiative activates landowners and farmers as leaders who make bold changes on their lands that reduce emissions, store more carbon in soils and plants and help ensure that farms and rural communities are increasingly resilient. These Climate Land Leaders exchange knowledge, on-the-ground experiences and encouragement

as they tackle ambitious conservation strategies that are proven to alleviate climate change. They influence their neighbors and policymakers along the way as their actions help improve soil health, reduce soil erosion, clean and protect waters and increase biodiversity.

Cora Hoffer
Policy Associate with the Center for Rural Affairs

Cora joined the Center in August 2023 as a policy associate, advancing the clean energy portfolio in Minnesota. In her current role, she engages in outreach to decision makers and advocates, conducts research and analysis, and collaborates with state partners and coalitions on strategy to expand clean energy. Her experiences with rural communities across Minnesota and western Wisconsin have fueled her passion to be a voice for rural America.

Sarah Hunt, Program Director
Climate Land Leaders

Sarah has Midwestern roots, a music background and a limitless love for making and sharing food. She spent the first part of her career at a member-owned financial services organization in roles including operations, organizational effectiveness and new business development. Sarah worked on an organic vegetable farm before joining Climate Land Leaders, where she supports programming and partnerships, co-leads federal policy advocacy and connects with farmers and landowners to tell their stories.

Theresa Keaveny
MN State Policy Lead Climate Land Leaders

Theresa is a veteran leader of sustainability-focused nonprofit organizations, including most recently as executive director of Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota. Theresa has been a rural community organizer in the Dakotas and Montana working on conservation, water protection and family farm and ranch issues and brings extensive experience in civic and policy engagement to her state policy work with Climate Land Leaders. Theresa is a Minnesota native who grew up on a farm near Morton.

Resources and Recording from the Webinar

Recording & Presentations

Presentations for the Webinar HERE

The recording will be posted after the webinar  HERE.  

All 100 Rural Women’s Webinar recordings are on our YouTube channel

Resources Contributed

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