We’ve seen unbelievable changes at the federal level in the past year.  A White House organic garden and a USDA program that supports the rebuilding of local and regional food systems seemed nearly impossible a year ago.  The USDA's program 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food', launched in September of 2009, builds a solid foundation for a strong local food system infrastructure. 

This program and recent USDA-led conversations with local food advocates demonstrate unprecedented leadership.

The USDA's next actions in this arena can be influenced by our encouragement. It’s critical to show them that we like the direction they are headed in and to urge them to continue working towards building a local food system. 

Because saying thank you and asking for a deeper commitment is so important, we encourage you to personalize this message to strengthen it.  Your message will be collected by Roots of Change (ROC) staff and then hand delivered to the USDA by ROC President Michael Dimock on December 11th.