It's the "Year of Local Food" in Cleveland, say the organizers of Sustainable Cleveland 2019. It's also the year that Congress is set to reauthorize the farm bill, the largest piece of food and farm legislation that determines how food reaches our plate.

These two events may seem disconnected, but they really are not, says Tia Lebherz, an organizer with Food and Water Watch, whose job is to energize the Cleveland Fair Farm Bill Campaign. In fact, the bill plays a big role in whether or not small local farmers, including urban farmers, can survive and thrive.

This Saturday, local urban farmers and advocates of a better, healthier farm bill are linking the two issues together with an event that they're calling "Green Your St. Patty's Day." Food and Water Watch, Green Triangle, City Rising Farm and Blaine Community Garden organizers are rallying locavores to volunteer on a farm in Hough and participate in a day of action urging their Congressional leaders to support a fair farm bill using letters, phone calls, art projects and petitions.

"Every day, more and more power is shifted to Monsanto and other large corporations, undercutting small farmers so they can't compete," says Lebherz. "We want to see sustainably produced, local food, and one way to do that is to support competition provisions ensuring a level playing field for small farmers."

Lebherz says that Saturday's event will show that Cleveland residents are engaged in their local food system and want to see change. Federal reauthorization of the farm bill only comes up every four to five years, she says, making the Year of Local Food a golden opportunity to organize around this issue in Northeast Ohio.

The "Green Your St. Patty's Day" event takes place this Saturday, March 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at City Rising Farm, 8814 Blaine Avenue in Cleveland.

Source: Tia Lebherz
Writer: Lee Chilcote