Left to right: Rep. Michelle McGaw, Sen. Linda Ujifusa, Rep. Deborah Fellela, Sen. Robert Britto, Rep. Terri Cortvriend, Sen. Hanna Gallo, event cohost Rep. Jennifer Boylan, Sen. Mark McKenney, Sen. Alana DiMario, Sen. Bridget Valverde (not pictured: event cohost Sen. Pamela Lauria, Sen. Jacob Bissaillon and Sen. Walter Felag)
Annual “Farm Visit for Legislators” draws record attendance from policy changemakers
On Friday, November 15, more than a dozen legislators, staff members from Congressional Delegation offices, and dozens more state food system leaders flocked to the Barrington Farm School —a nonprofit community farm— for our annual Farm Visit with Legislators, cohosted by district legislators Representative Jennifer Boylan and Senator Pamela Luria. The event focused on raising awareness of the critical role the food system plays, and laying out the Council’s “2025 Good Food Policy Agenda”:
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Creating a dedicated Compost Fund
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Creating a food recovery tax credit
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Making school lunches free for all Rhode Islanders
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Enacting a Small & Urban Farms tax credit
After a moving Land Acknowledgement by Sachem Po Pummukaonk Anogqs (Tracey Dancing Star Brown), Sachem of the Pokanoket Tribe of the Pokanoket Nation, an introduction by the event’s cohosts, and an overview of the Barrington Farm School’s work by Barrington Farm School Board Members Gail Read and Tim Faulkner, Council members spoke about the importance of these policy initiatives. RIFPC speakers included Margaret DeVos (Southside Community Land Trust), Tess Feigenbaum (Epic Renewal), and Ella Kilpatrick Kotner (Groundwork RI, Harvest Cycle), as well as RI Healthy Schools Coalition co-director, Karin Wetherill. The event concluded with a farm tour and complimentary jugs of “worm tea” (homemade liquid fertilizer) for the 70+ attendees to take home for their plants.
The RI legislative session kicks off in just a few weeks. Work group members are building on the momentum of this event, deep into advocacy preparations and scheduling meetings with legislators for further discussion. Stay tuned for updates and calls to action for ways you can get involved!