Dear {{Preferred Name/First Name}},

If you've been following along with our Farm Bill updates, then you know it has been a heavy stretch of news out of Washington, DC. We've provided a quick overview along with some things to look forward to below. 

On April 30, the U.S. House passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 by a 224-200 vote. The bill now heads to the Senate. There were a few real wins, including the removal of a provision that would have shielded pesticide manufacturers from failure-to-warn lawsuits. That happened because of pressure from farmers and advocates, including many of you.

However, the bill still falls short of what small and sustainable farms in Alabama need. It cuts conservation funding, leans heavily into precision agriculture technologies that serve only a narrow set of operations, maintains a discriminatory lower payment limit for organic producers, and leaves in place last year's $187 billion in SNAP cuts.

Just as concerning is the sweeping USDA reorganization announced on April 23, which is expected to disrupt service delivery and lead to significant losses of staff and institutional knowledge. In Alabama, where many of our members have already been waiting months for answers from understaffed NRCS and FSA offices, more disruption would set farmers back even further.

In the meantime, plenty of good work is happening closer to home. Below you can read our spotlight on organic rice champion Collie Graddick, a feature on Alabama's own Ekvn-Yefolecv ecovillage stewarding ancestral Maskoke land, and register for events like a free specialty crops class, the Farm to Early Care and Education Summit, and learn the basics of organic rice production with Konda Mason and Erika Stryger.

Rooted in Alabama,

Alan, Rachel, and Hayley

ASAN Staff

The Future of American Agriculture and the Next Generation—A recent report from Texas highlights a familiar set of challenges: an aging farmer population, thin profitability, and farmland going idle as families weigh succession. Industry leaders say profitability is the central obstacle to drawing in the next generation. Still, producers point to what keeps the work meaningful, especially local contracts that feed nearby schools. As awareness grows about where food comes from and who grows it, that connection between farmers and their communities will be key to sustaining agriculture for the future.

DOJ Prepares Case Over Egg Prices That Didn't Add Up—The Department of Justice is preparing an antitrust case against some of the largest egg producers in the country. While shoppers paid $8 to $10 a dozen during the 2025 egg price spike, contract farmers raising those eggs were earning just 26.75 cents per dozen, with one grower family reporting a raise of only a penny per dozen over more than a decade. The dominant egg companies, meanwhile, posted record profits and used the windfall to acquire smaller competitors, all while receiving billions in federal avian flu relief.

Black and Indigenous Intentional Communities Reclaim Land—A Guardian feature spotlights Alabama's Ekvn-Yefolecv, a Maskoke ecovillage stewarding 7,674 acres of ancestral land using traditional foraging, Indigenous crop varieties, and a daily language-immersion program, alongside similar projects in California, Massachusetts, and Georgia. Together they reflect a growing movement of Black and Indigenous people reconnecting with ancestral agricultural knowledge and building communal spaces grounded in care, tradition, and ecological sustainability.

Opportunity on the Half Shell—Alabama House Bill 277 allows licensed oyster farmers to harvest, shuck, and serve their own oysters on-site for free product tastings, removing a long-standing regulatory barrier that required farmers to go through processing and distribution licensing in order to share their product directly with the public. Set to take effect in October 2026, the law opens the door for ecotourism on Alabama's working waterfronts and offers coastal farmers a new revenue stream while reinforcing the environmental value of oyster aquaculture, which naturally filters water and supports marine habitat.

Join a statewide community of farmers, advocates, and food system changemakers. Member benefits include discounts, portal access, grant eligibility, and a voice in ASAN's direction.

Not ready to become a member? You can still support ASAN’s mission by making a recurring or one-time donation. Every dollar helps build a stronger, more sustainable food system for us all.

New Member Perk! ASAN members now receive 10% off Taste the Local Difference (TLD) marketing services up to $300 off for their next marketing project. This local food-focused marketing agency specializes in websites, ecommerce, email, social media, design, and marketing strategies. Members will also receive a 10% discount on TLD’s Local Food Marketing Academy, a go-at-your-own-pace course that includes bite-sized video lessons, handy worksheets, and ready-to-use templates.

FARMER SPOTLIGHT

Our Spotlight Farmer this month is Collie Graddick. A Tuskegee University graduate, Collie has dedicated his skills to bringing commercial organic rice to states across the country as a board member of Jubilee Justice. His latest work has been spearheading a research test plot for organic rice production at the Carver Integrative Sustainability Center at Tuskegee University. ASAN had the privilege to partner with Collie on a series of workshops focusing on organic rice; the first of which took place this past Wednesday, May 6. If you are interested in growing organic rice, stay tuned for our upcoming Organic Rice Online Learning Session in partnership with Jubilee Justice.

Complete the Organic Farmer Input Survey today to share your preferred input suppliers. The information you provide will help us develop a resource directory of local organic input suppliers (not products ordered online for shipment) in the Southeast—with your help, small-scale, sustainable farmers like you will be able to more easily access and use organic production supplies.

This voluntary survey is a project of the Southeast Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). This survey is being administered and compiled by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA). For questions about this survey, please email [email protected] or call (919) 542-2402.

National Farm to School Network BIPOC Growers Needs Assessment: The National Farm to School Network is currently gathering input from BIPOC growers across the country to better understand their experiences, interest, and needs related to accessing K–12 and other institutional food markets. The NFSN has developed a short (4–6 minute) needs assessment survey to help better design resources and outreach efforts that reflect growers’ experiences, including production scale, current engaged markets, farm to school familiarity, and barriers to K-12 institutional access. This needs assessment will conclude June 26 at 7:00pm. 

ASAN Advocate’s Guide: a practical guide outlining how to find elected officials, access accurate voting and district information, track Alabama legislative activity, and engage effectively in state and local policy advocacy through trusted tools, public data sources, and partner organizations.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Specialty Crop Production for Ethnic Markets: A free class at the North Alabama Agriplex on May 14 covering which specialty crops are in demand for ethnic markets and how to grow them in North Alabama. Sign up to reserve your spot.

Operation Grow Boot Camp: A free two-day training for veteran and beginning farmers in Chilton County, May 28–29, covering farm business fundamentals, marketing, and production systems, with on-farm visits and hotel accommodations provided. Register at through the link or contact Jesse Teel at [email protected] or 334-740-4248.

Gather (formerly Roots in the Ground): Join Jones Valley Teaching Farm on Saturday, May 30, 4–7pm for a picnic fundraiser at their downtown farm supporting Good Community Food. Tickets include buffet fare from local chefs, beer and wine, line dancing lessons with Desi Keith of D2 Line Dancing, and family-friendly activities. Silent auction and tomato plant sale on site. Bring a blanket or lawn chair.

2026 Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) Summit is an annual day-long conference to facilitate strong connections between farmers and early childhood educators. Come discover how gardening, nutrition, and local foods can transform classrooms into spaces where children explore, learn, and grow. Event will be held at Jones Valley Teaching Farm on June 13, 2026, from 8:30 to 3:00. Space is filling up fast, so register today!

8th Annual Alabama Honey Bee Festival is an outdoor educational event and market with vendors that support bees and pollinators. It will take place at Alabama A&M University's Winfred Thomas Agricultural Research Station in Hazel Green, AL on October 4 from 1PM–5PM. Potential vendors can complete this form.

GRANTS & FUNDING

Natoora Farm Fund: Transformational and resilience grants to young agroecological farmers globally. Apply by May 31.

Shipt 2026 Community Impact Grant: Applications open May 11 through June 12 for food access organizations building resilient, self-sustaining food systems. Funding supports mobile markets, teaching farms, and food hubs, with three tiers: Seed (up to $10k), Growth (up to $20k), and Rooted (up to $35k/year). Optional virtual info sessions on May 19, 12:30-1:30pm CT. Register here.

Alabama Ag Credit Vendor Voucher Program: Helps small farmers offset vendor fees at certified farmers markets, supporting direct-to-consumer sales. Up to $300 for Alabama Ag Credit members, $100 for non-members. Open to farmers, food manufacturers, and producers of non-food goods using Alabama-grown ingredients or materials. Applications accepted through July 31 on a first-come basis.

Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant: This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses qualify for this funding. Applications are open year round.

Tax Exemption Opportunity: Fencing materials, such as t-posts, wood posts, barbed wire, net wire, smooth wire, standard metal gates, and other like materials used for the purpose of fencing in agriculture livestock applications are exempt from state sales and use taxes through September 30, 2029. To benefit, the purchaser must provide the retailer with Form ST:EXC-2. For more information, email [email protected].

SERVICES

Organic Compost: Aged Horse Manure. Auburn Analyzed. Persistent Herbicide Free. $20 per tractor scoop. 2 scoops = 1 yard. Located in Shelby County on Hwy 47, Chelsea/Columbiana area at James Hale Stables.

JOBS & APPRENTICESHIPS

INFAS Food Systems Fellowship (FSF) Program welcomes graduate students who aim to engage with communities in their food systems-related field of study. This fellowship program offers professional development and mentoring, with a particular focus on engaging communities ethically and respectfully in students' current and future research and work. Apply by June 1.

Law and Policy Fellow: The Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI) at the University of Arkansas School of Law is accepting applications for a fellowship for third-year law students or recent graduates interested in Tribal governance, food systems, and agriculture policy in Indian Country.

Southeast Cohort Project Manager: Remote (Southeast preferred), full-time role with RAFI leading a team of Direct Service Providers helping farmers navigate financial distress and USDA programs across the Southeast.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Organic Pest & Weed Management Webinar—Join the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) to learn practical, science-backed strategies to manage pests and weeds in Southern organic systems—tailored for those supporting farmers in the field. May 13 at 1:00PM.

Regenerative Food Labels—What’s Behind the Claim Webinar
Join Friends of the Earth for a timely discussion on what regenerative labels really mean and why strong standards matter for trust, health, and sustainability. May 27 at 2:00PM.

Organic Rice Learning Session with Jubilee Justice—This online learning event will shine some light on what rice growing in the Deep South can look like. Konda Mason, Co-Founder and President of Jubilee Justice, along with some members of her team will tell us about the amazing work they do bringing Organic Rice to the South with an in-depth technical lesson on the climate-smart system used to make it happen. June 16, 5:30PM to 7:00PM.

Enterprise Budgets for Diversified Farms—This guide walks through how to build enterprise budgets for individual crops, livestock, or practices, and how to use partial budget analysis to evaluate specific decisions, with case studies covering a cow-calf operation, a grain farm, and a strawberry enterprise.

Master of Science in Agroecology through the University of Vermont is designed for food systems professionals who want to deepen their practice without leaving their communities. Apply by July 15.

RESEARCH & CONSERVATION

Controlled Environment Crop Insurance Expansion: USDA has expanded its Controlled Environment pilot crop insurance program to seven additional Alabama counties: Bullock, Calhoun, Cherokee, Dallas, Lee, Limestone, and Montgomery. The program covers plants grown in fully enclosed controlled environments against plant diseases subject to destruction orders or quarantine. Sales closing date is May 1. Contact a crop insurance agent or visit the RMA website for details.

Great Southeast Pollinator Census is a University of Georgia Project open to residents of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and the Carolinas. This citizen science project invites gardeners, students, and farmers to count and identify pollinators in order to build entomological literacy and generate useful data on pollinator population trends across the region. August 21 & 22.