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LATINO PRODUCERS VOICES HEARD IN DC USDA NATIONAL MEETING

Washington state was well represented by Latino producers at the FIFTH ANNUAL PARTNERS MEETING held in Washington D.C.  on August 6-8, 2008

The annual meeting provides a venue for local Community Based Organizations that have a history of serving limited resource producers and USDA staff to share best practices no how to better serve limited resource producers and rural communities.

RCDR's Center for Latino Farmers was invited and headed a delegation of 13 Latino producers. The farmers attending were Primitivo Serna, Evaristo Silva, Jose Guzman, Hilario Alvarez, Julio Flores, Jose Luna and Simon Arzola representing the minority farmers from Washington State.  Maria Ines Catalan, Amparo Martinez, Miguel Ramirez represented the minority farmers from California State and Modesta Salazar, Ramiro Torres, Pedro Peña represented a group from Texas. Luz Bazan Gutierrez, RCDR President and CEO and Blanca Alvitres, Lead Financial Specialist accompanied the farmers and also served as experts on panels during the three day session.

The weeklong conference focused on building bridges, building hope and working together to strengthen farming and the rural communities between Community Based Organizations and USDA agencies. Acting Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer made the opening comments by thanking all the 500 attendees (CBOs & USDA agencies) in this conference and he identified the RCDR Center for Latino Farmers for its outstanding work in WA State in his remarks for meeting the needs of underserved constituents and has effectively facilitated the delivery of USDA programs and services to these stakeholders. Hilario Alvarez, a well known organic farmer from Mabton, was able to present a rosca, wreath, of chiles as a gift to Secretary Schafer in a spontaneous gesture at the end of his presentation. Secretary Schafer took a photo with farmer Alvarez.

The 2008 Farm Bill which was recently passed was also discussed and the changes that could most impact the limited resource farmers.  Regulations are being developed and the discussions were held on how to have impact on the implementation of regulations that will benefit limited resource producers and beginning farmers.

Maria Ines Catalan, an organic Latina producer in Hollister California was nominated by RCDR for her tireless work in advocating for organic farming and assisting limited resource producers using her own funds.

The farmers also met with staff from Sen Murray, Sen Cantwell and Congressman Hastings offices who expressed support for the efforts of agriculture and the efforts of the Center.  The issues of confronting the farmers on regarding lack of labor and the immigration reform were also discussed.  The congressional staff expressed support in seeking funds to maintain the high quality of services being offered at the Center.

All the farmers felt it was worth attending and expressed on how fortunate they were to have the Center for Latino Farmers to help them access and work through USDA paperwork and services. The Center is one of only about six CBOs that focus on serving the Latino farmers who per the USDA Ag Census show the fastest growth.

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