Washington D.C. — This week, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) launched a six-figure ad campaign to highlight how farmers across the country benefit from conservation funding and urge members of Congress to pass a farm bill that maintains the $20 billion in climate-smart investments from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as Republicans have aimed to cut funding in ongoing negotiations.

The ads feature Cherie Jzar and her family, who are urban farmers in Charlotte, NC and the proprietors of Deep Roots Farm CPS, along with Nala Bloom, farmer, beekeeper and educator at Wyncote Farm in Elkins Park, PA. Digital and bus shelter ads will run in Washington, D.C. and digital ads will run in the following Congressional districts: 

• NC-01 (Don Davis) 
• PA-15 (G.T. Thompson) 
• PA-01 (Brian Fitzpatrick)

“Investments in climate-smart agricultural practices allow farmers to be part of the climate solution, helping to protect people, our food supply and our planet,” said Deputy Legislative Director Madeleine Foote. “The Inflation Reduction Act’s $20 billion in climate-smart agriculture funding is the largest investment in farming and rural communities in decades, yet, extreme Republicans want to roll back the IRA despite the harm it would cause to their own constituents. Farmers and families across the country are already seeing the devastating impacts of the climate crisis firsthand, so it is critical that Congress maintain these critical investments in conservation and climate-smart agriculture in the farm bill to increase the resiliency of our farmers, communities, food supply, and economy.”

The IRA’s climate smart investments will help farmers build soil health, improve surface and ground water quality, increase water efficiency, build resilience to drought and floods, create habitat for fish and wildlife, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and protect agricultural lands for future generations.

These USDA programs are incredibly popular among farmers — every year, more farmers want to participate in these programs than funding allows. With the IRA funding, we can meet the growing demand from farmers to transition to climate-smart agriculture practices, and in turn, support efforts in the agriculture sector to reduce its climate impact and enhance its climate resiliency.

WATCH: Stewardship

As a farmer, I am already seeing some of the impacts of climate change. 

Climate change is impacting our yields. 

Climate change affecting the food supply should scare everybody. If you don’t have food, you don’t have life. 

That’s why the USDA’s conservation programs are critical for farmers. They provide resources and technical assistance to help our farms and our food supply be more resilient.

So please tell Congress not to cut climate smart conservation funding.

###