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BACKGROUND

The Real Food Consumer Coalition (RFCC), Organic Consumers Association (OCA), and the Organic and Natural Association (O&N) are organizing a national day of advocacy on Capitol Hill: Farm-to-Family—A Taste of Small Farm America.  We invite you to join us, and bring your voice and passion in support of our localized food systems and small farms.

During the day, people from all over the country will meet with legislators to discuss the impact and importance of a small farm reliant food system. In the evening, we will converge at a reception featuring the beauty, bounty, and diversity from small farms.

Please join us. If you are not able to make it in person, please continue with the steps to set up a phone meeting with your Representatives and Senators.

ACTION ALERT: Make your Voice Heard on our Farm-to-Family Grassroots Lobby Day:

Please call and email your Congressional Representatives and Senators to request a meeting on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 for the Farm-to-Family A Taste of Small Farm America grassroots lobby and advocacy day on Capitol Hill.

Note: All meetings need to be scheduled and confirmed by September 20th.

REQUEST FOR MEETINGS INSTRUCTION

Step 1. Sign up here to let us know you are coming or will be making an appointment to meet with your Representatives and Senators by phone. 

Step 2. Identify your elected representatives here by using your home voting address.  

Step 3. Check both the House of Representative and Senate spreadsheets to see if meetings are already scheduled for your Representative and both Senators with other members of our group.

• If no meetings are listed for your Members of Congress on the spreadsheet, call the number for their DC office and let the staff answering the phone know you are from the Congressional District (or State if you are contacting Senators) and will be coming to town for the Farm-to-Family small farm lobby day on September 26, 2018. 
• Ask to speak with the staffer who handles agriculture issues to schedule a meeting. 
• If that staff person is busy, ask for their name and email address and send a written request for the meeting (see below for message information).
• If the spreadsheet(s) list that a meeting is scheduled, please send your name, address and cell phone number to khoward@onha.org.
  • Use the Subject: Farm to Family.
  • Provide the name of the Representative and/or Senate meetings you wish to be added to.

Note: If you will not be able to attend in person, please use these same steps and request to schedule a phone meeting for that day with the agriculture staffer.

Step 4. The Message:  When explaining the purpose of the proposed meeting on the phone or in an email to the staff, please use the talking points above (Printable Downloads-Mission and constituent talking points) and the sample letter below.  If emailing, be sure to include your home address - essential so they know you are a constituent.

Step 5. Follow up with a phone call, or email, the next day if possible to confirm the meeting.

Step 6. Once your meeting is confirmed, email the details to Karen Howard khoward@onha.org so she can get it on the schedule and let others from your district or state know when and where the meeting is. Include in your email to Karen the building and room number where your meeting is, the time, and the name of the staff person you will be meeting with.

Sample letter and talking points for your emails to schedule a meeting (please change names and language as fitting for the contact person you are working with):

Dear ___________,

As a resident of CITY, STATE I would like to schedule a meeting with you while I am in town for the Farm-to-Family grassroots lobby day on Wednesday, September 26, 2018. I will be there to discuss some food access topics that are important to me.

I would also like to invite you to our reception that day, being held at 5:30 pm.  I will send you an invite to that soon, but wanted to get it on your radar so you can plan on attending.

I can be reached at Ph. (555) 555-5555 and Email: _____________________.

Thank you and I look forward to meeting you on September 26, 2018.

Sincerely, 

(Name and full address)