Looking Ahead: A Note From Sophia, Our Head of Policy & Advocacy

Dear Farmlinker,

As the election results roll in, we remain grounded as ever in our mission to end hunger in our lifetimes. At this time, we want to take a moment to connect with you, our community, and share our approach for the months ahead.

As we move towards this new administration, the first months of 2025 will be marked with transitions in staff and officials across state and federal government. We are confident that our bipartisan network of connections at every level of government will enable us to remain an active and influential voice as the Trump administration settles in. We also recognize our continued responsibility as we forge new relationships with incoming officials and leadership and are guided by our core values of collaboration, accessibility, and dignity.

As Congress welcomes its new members, we are excited for the opportunity to expand the number of Congressional food and agriculture champions who are ready to position Farmlinks model as a legislative solution to hunger. We will build upon our existing relationships with incumbents and connect with the newly elected members of Congress, urging them to advocate for the recovery and donation of food in federal legislation.

We will be applying the lessons weve learned from our past two large-scale apple rescues in West Virginia to collaborate with the State Departments of Agriculture & the United States Department of Agriculture to create long-term solutions that connect the abundance of nutritious food grown on farms with the charitable food distribution network. We are confident that Farmlinks sustainable funding model, particularly indirect reimbursements through existing programs such as USDAs emergency surplus removals, will continue to be supported when it comes to large-scale produce rescues.

As an organization, we are committed to the needs of the farmers and communities we partner with, regardless of todays political landscape. Regardless of elections, 13.5% of Americans are still experiencing food insecurity as they were yesterday. Regardless of elections, a third of the food grown this year in our country will still go to waste. Regardless of elections, we will still be there working to ensure that the abundance of fresh, nutritious food is equitably accessible to communities across the country. Your support essentially continues to enable that food to flow where it is needed most and will have the highest impact.

What has set Farmlink apart from the beginning is our staunch commitment to collaboration with everyone - regardless of network or location. Our stakeholders, growers, hunger-fighting organizations, and policymakers are a part of this commitment and our community, and you are too. We are deeply grateful for your consistent compassion, support, and commitment that drives us everyday and continues to strengthen our vision for a farm and food-secure future for all.

Onward,

Sophia Adelle

Head Of Policy & Advocacy