Farm Commons

FARM COMMONS' MISSION IS TO PROVIDE THE LEGAL RESOURCES SUSTAINABLE FARMERS NEED TO BE THE STABLE, RESILIENT FOUNDATION OF A COMMUNITY-BASED FOOD SYSTEM. FARM COMMONS EMPOWERS AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES TO RESOLVE THEIR OWN LEGAL VULNERABILITIES, WITHIN AN ECOSYSTEM OF SUPPORT.

FARMER EDUCATION: IN 2021, WE ACHIEVED SEVERAL STRATEGIC GOALS FOR OUR FARMER EDUCATION PROGRAM. FIRST, WE TOOK OUR FLAGSHIP ONLINE WORKSHOP DISCOVERING RESILIENCE, WHICH EMPOWERS PRODUCERS NATIONWIDE TO UNDERSTAND AND TAKE ACTION TOWARDS THE 10 BEST PRACTICES OF LEGAL RESILIENCE AND MADE IT AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE TO ANY FARMER OR RANCHER, ANYWHERE. OUR NEW ONLINE WORKSHOP NETWORKS PRODUCERS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AS THEY CREATE ACTION PLANS THAT REDUCE THEIR MOST SIGNIFICANT VULNERABILITIES. WE SAW WIDESPREAD POSITIVE RECEPTION FOR THE WORKSHOP AND WE EXPERIENCED EVEN STRONGER OUTCOMES THAN OUR IN-PERSON WORKSHOP! WE ALSO LAUNCHED A NEW LIBRARY AT OUR WEBSITE WITH A NEW, MORE LOGICAL SEARCH MECHANISM TO HELP FARMERS DETERMINE WHICH OF OUR 100+ RESOURCES ANSWER THEIR PARTICULAR QUESTIONS. IN 2021, WE DESIGNED AND LAUNCHED OUR FARMER FELLOWS PROGRAM WHICH IS PART OF A LONG-TERM STRATEGIC INITIATIVE TO INTEGRATE THE STORIES AND LEADERSHIP OF FARMERS THEMSELVES INTO OUR LEGAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM. WE ALSO MADE STRONG HEADWAY IN PRODUCING OUR 50-STATE INDEX OF FARM EMPLOYMENT LAWS, WHICH WILL BE THE FIRST SUCH RESOURCE DEVELOPED IN THE COUNTRY ON THIS COMPLEX AREA OF LAW.

NON-FARMER EDUCATION: IN 2021, FARM COMMONS EXPANDED ITS SERVICE TO EXTENSION EDUCATORS, NONPROFIT EMPLOYEES, AND FARM SUPPORT PERSONS NATIONWIDE TO HELP FARMERS RECOGNIZE AND ADDRESS LEGAL VULNERABILITIES BEFORE A PROBLEM OCCURS. WE LAUNCHED OUR COMPREHENSIVE ONLINE WORKSHOP, GUIDING RESILIENCE, AVAILABLE TO NON-FARMERS NATIONWIDE, NO MATTER THEIR GEOGRAPHY. WE ALSO LAUNCHED OUR ONLINE QUESTION-AND-ANSWER PLATFORM WHERE WE RECEIVE AND ANSWER HUNDREDS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT FARM LAW, LARGELY FROM AGRICULTURAL PROFESSIONALS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES. OUR DATA ESTIMATE THAT FOR EVERY ONE NON-FARMING AGRICULTURE PROFESSIONAL WE REACH, THAT PERSON PROVIDES OUR INFORMATION TO 22 MORE FARMERS IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY, SIGNIFICANTLY MAGNIFYING OUR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE OUR MISSION. OUR RESOURCES AND MATERIALS HELPED THESE SERVICE PROVIDERS GET ESSENTIAL INFORMATION DIRECTLY TO FARMERS NATIONWIDE, QUICKLY. WE ALSO LAUNCHED OUR FORMAL PROGRAM TO LICENSE OUR MATERIAL TO AGRICULTURAL SERVICE PROVIDERS, ALLOWING THEM TO DISTRIBUTE ALL OUR PRINT MATERIALS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

RESEARCH: FARM COMMONS PROVIDES ESSENTIAL SERVICES IN DOING COMPLEX LEGAL RESEARCH AND IN STUDYING THE IMPACT AND RAMIFICATIONS OF LEGAL REALITIES ON DIVERSE FARM COMMUNITIES. IN 2021, WE DEVELOPED OUR RESEARCH INTO FOOD SAFETY LIABILITY AND THE INSURANCE POLICIES THAT CONTROL FOR FOOD SAFETY RISKS. WE ALSO WORKED EXTENSIVELY ON RESEARCH INTO FARMER AWARENESS OF, ACCEPTANCE OF, AND INTEREST IN COLLABORATIVE SOLUTIONS TO LABOR SHORTAGE CHALLENGES. AS PART OF THIS, WE WORKED WITH LAW ACADEMICS AND LEGAL CLINICS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO DEVELOP A MORE ROBUST AWARENESS OF THE COMPLEX ISSUES AFFECTING FARM BUSINESSES NATIONWIDE AND TO FOSTER MORE ACADEMIC RESEARCH INTO THESE PROBLEMS AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS.