Local Advocacy 101: Protecting Farmland in Your Community
Are you concerned about farmland loss in your community? Many farmers are seeing urban sprawl threaten their farms and the local food system. Development pressure is increasing the cost of land, creating barriers for next generation farmers. But where do you even start to advocate for farmland protection? Navigating public processes can be a daunting task. This workshop will teach farmers and farmland enthusiasts how to influence change. Participants will learn how to engage in county planning, develop talking points to share stories that inspire change, elevate the urgency of farmland protection, and offer tangible solutions to policymakers.
About the Speaker
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Dani Madrone
American Farmland TrustDani Madrone leads American Farmland Trust’s policy agenda for Oregon and Washington. She has over a decade of experience in protecting and restoring food systems. Dani lives in Olympia, Washington, where she started her career with the South Sound Food Summit in 2011. This event brought people together to celebrate and plan for the future of their local food system. She has remained active in food advocacy and built strong relationships across sectors, working to develop partnerships and policies to implement local food system priorities through local government planning. Dani holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Public Administration from the Evergreen State College, where she studied science and policy for climate change and sustainability.