FoFF prides itself on being an organization by and for farmers. Last week’s blog talked at length about how we get the people we serve involved in the policy creation process. But once we have this information from the small and midsize, highly diversified, local market farmers of Oregon, how do we keep folks involved in the process and make sure we have continued input? There are many ways we accomplish this at FoFF, but one of the most significant is the Farmer Policy Advisory Committee (FPAC).

TL:DR (Although we hope you’ll read!)

• FoFF’s FPAC is made up of active agricultural producers running their businesses across the state.
• We meet with them on a regular basis to get their input on how policy situations are evolving and how we make decisions in real time when new opportunities/needs arise.
• They are a crucial part of the policy setting process, but also serve as a gut check and accountability screener for our organization’s positions.
• Our FPAC is made up of producers from all over the industry (some organic, some conventional; some raising livestock, some growing crops, seeds, or flowers, etc.) and all over the state. We don’t always agree and the point of the committee is to find the common ground and add more nuance to FoFF’s approach.
• We are accepting applications for 2 new people to join the committee!  Read more and fill out the interest form here.

Context and Purpose of the Committee

FoFF has a lot of formal and informal ways that farmers and program participants give input on how we spend our time and how we direct our resources. We send you (a lot of) surveys, we ask for evaluations on our classes and programs, and we ask you to participate in focus groups and roundtables on all kinds of topics. This space is a little different. This committee was formed in its current iteration in summer of 2024. The goal here is to be much more explicit with our goals, and to have a group of our farmers, with lived experience with all types of agriculture and some skin in the game join with us to bring that perspective to political insider conversations. This group dives deep, gets information about the political forces we are encountering when we work to make change, discusses the real consequences of those forces and gets the inside scoop. 

If you have ever been on a policy update call with us and thought “Am I getting the short version of this issue/roadblock?” The answer is likely yes. As much as we would love to let everyone in our network know every twist and turn a campaign makes inside the capital building, we know you don’t have time for that and want us to get to the point and tell you what can be done. The FPAC is made up of farmers and ranchers who have committed the time and energy to going on that long and winding road with us and want to see the absolute nitty gritty and put their experience to work with us in the process. When members are voted onto the committee, they commit to a minimum of 1 year of service and agree to participate with the goal of advancing FoFF’s values and vision for the future. They might encounter topics they haven’t considered before, creative solutions, or specific issues outside of their agricultural focus or operation, but they are interested in seeing the whole picture of agricultural policy and how it is all connected.

Roles of the FPAC Members

Content Advisors – regional and industry input

The FPAC members first and foremost bring their experience and perspective into the policy program at FoFF. Many of these folks have no formal training in policy or law, but have been active in our campaigns in the past and have a deep appreciation/understanding of the importance of farmers engaging in policy work. We want them to bring their whole selves to the policy conversation and think about FoFF’s policy positions as they relate to these questions:

• How would support/opposition to this policy impact my farm business?
• Is there specialized knowledge in my type of farming that could influence the policy?
• Will this policy have a different/outsized impact in my area of the state than anticipated?
• Will this policy change my choices as a farmer positively or negatively?

We want to make sure that FoFF crafts and supports policies that are thoughtful about the realities of farming, the disparate climates, growing seasons and conditions in different areas of Oregon, and that reflect the input and needs of the farmers, farmworkers, and ranchers responsible for following the policy in their everyday lives. Involvement from our policy advisory committee helps us avoid unintended consequences for certain crop types, markets, or regions of the state.

Champions and spokespeople

The farmers and ranchers in the FPAC are also some of the best people to speak up on topics related to our policy work. Because of their deep involvement in the process and knowledge of the policy’s intentions, ins and outs, and impact, they can talk effectively about their support or opposition to the proposals both in legislative hearings, their communities, and in the media. The farmers who serve on our FPAC get a deeper understanding of issues being discussed and the dynamics behind policy, so they can make the case for or against a policy confidently and knowledgeably. Although we put out calls for all our farmers to get involved, FPAC members are often more comfortable giving testimony or speaking at community meetings.

These farmers are also more able to have conversations about these policies in formal and informal settings in their communities. FPAC members have told us that they have had conversations with neighbors and friends about policies they learned about through the FoFF committee and been able to help folks understand the full picture beyond the spin delivered on social media. This committee gives you the information to have powerful conversations and build understanding in your home town.

Community Connectors

A natural byproduct of our FPAC members having policy conversations in their community is that they also know which ones of their neighbors, friends, or fellow farmers market vendors might be interested or impacted by policies up for debate in Salem. This means that FPAC members can serve as a conduit for the people in their community to get more involved. Being able to bring the information back to their community and get the people most impacted involved helps improve policy for us all. FPAC members have an opportunity to make sure their community is represented in policy through FoFF and that their voice gets heard.

Power of the FPAC

Policy endorsements and priorities

The FPAC not only gets to contribute to the policy setting process based on the survey and focus group data we collect in even numbered years, but they also get to weigh in on FoFF’s policy endorsements. Because policy can move at an unpredictable pace, sometimes taking years to gain a foothold, or moving at the speed of light when a political window opens, FoFF relies on input from the FPAC to gut check our policy positions before endorsing or fighting any proposal related to our work. FoFF is not the only group taking action in agricultural policy, and we are also often asked to weigh in on policies in adjacent areas like:

• Rural infrastructure
• Hunger and food security
• Land use
• And more! 

When these requests come in, we consider them according to the values and capacity of FoFF and we bring them to our FPAC for review. The FPAC (along with our board policy committee) votes on which policies FoFF endorses and makes recommendations about how deeply we get involved/how many resources we put toward these campaigns. The FPAC serves the critical role of helping us take swift action on policy when it comes up. If we are not involved in the creation of a policy, and just asked to support it later on, we are often not given a lot of time to gather feedback before a decision is made. Having the FPAC farmers ready to discuss these proposals helps us make sure our decisions are never made without community input.

Accountability to Community

One of the most distinct benefits of the FPAC is that it fosters a space where farmers can speak plainly to us about the impact of our policy work. Because members commit to a year long term at once, we spend the time building relationships and trust within the group that allows people to disagree and debate policy without a mandate that their perspective has to conform. This committee holds farmers with different priorities, experiences, and positionality. We do not always agree. These disagreements however are always constructive, lead to deeper understanding of an issue and highlight areas where FoFF staff needs to do more research or seek expert advice before proceeding. Agricultural policy is complex, and natural resource management can create winners and losers, haves and have nots in some cases. With the help of the FPAC we get a better understanding of where the benefits and drawbacks of a policy lie and how our advocacy might help or harm some parts of our community. If we can’t find agreement on a position for an entire concept, the FPAC might approve or suggest a partial endorsement, or help us craft an amendment to a proposal. This helps us more accurately represent our community’s diverse interests and positions without causing greater divide between our farmers.

Join the FoFF FPAC!

Who is a good fit?

Anyone who is currently producing agricultural products commercially in Oregon and identifies with FoFF’s mission, vision and values can apply! We are looking to broaden the expertise and perspectives on the committee, so while we welcome applications from all farmers and ranchers we are especially looking for people with experience raising livestock (especially poultry) and a representative from Central Oregon.

We are looking for folks who are passionate about making a difference for their farm, the industry, and their community. You don’t need to have experience working in legislative policy, but any background in working on issue based campaigns is a plus. All our monthly meetings are held virtually, so no travel will be necessary on a regular basis. We do offer a barrier mitigation stipend for participation (the same as all our advisory committees).

Here is a quote from one of our current FPAC members about what the committee means to her:

“The FoFF Farmer Policy Advisory Committee has been so valuable for me as a farmer in a rural, geographically isolated area.  I am so thankful to learn more about the legislative process, and to bring concerns of small farmers to the group.  This group is unique in that it brings different and sometimes conflicting perspectives to the table to listen to each other respectfully.  This variety of life experiences provides more nuanced input for future policy efforts. I have always valued that FoFF takes time to listen to diverse voices in the farming community to inform their work.”

-Southern Oregon Farmer, serving on FoFF’s FPAC

How to apply?

You can apply via this form! Applications are reviewed in the order they are received by the FoFF Board and existing FPAC members. If a farmer meets the qualifications and is approved by the board and FPAC, they will be invited to the next monthly meeting.