Family Farm Defenders

10/17/2026

Nominations are now open for the 2026 John Kinsman Food Sovereignty Prize!

Each year FFD is proud to host the John Kinsman Food Sovereignty Prize - named in honor of John Kinsman, one of the founders and longtime president of Family Farm Defenders who passed away at the ripe old age of 87 on MLKJ Day, 2014. John was not only an early pioneer of organic grass-based dairying in the Midwest, but also a tireless champion of civil rights, social justice, and food sovereignty both in the U.S. and around the world.

Farmers, especially beginning farmers who have farmed for fewer than five years, and food sovereignty advocates are encouraged to apply.

To be considered for the prize, nominees must demonstrate the principles of food sovereignty through their farming practices, community engagement, outreach, public education, and/or organizing with farmers/farmworkers/land stewards to promote a more fair, resilient and agroecological food system.

Farming practices that demonstrate principles of food sovereignty would include sustainably managing natural resources, supporting healthy soil, and conserving biodiversity in small-scale production of livestock, fisheries, vegetables, fruits, fibers, flowers, herbs, or timber for local sale or distribution.

If you would like to nominate someone for the 2026 John Kinsman Food Sovereignty Prize, please send their name and contact info (phone, email, home address) to [email protected] or leave a message at 608-345-3918.

Evening award banquet will be happening in Reedsburg on Sat. Dec. 5th in conjunction with the FFD annual meeting and Midwest Food Sovereignty Forum. Stay tuned for more details!

10/15/2026

Yes, peasants have opposed capitalism (and feudalism and colonialism, and...) for a long LONG time!

In English / Auf Deutsch / En français For centuries, Europe’s peasants have been dismissed as relics of a vanished world, swept aside by industrialization, modernization and capitalist progress.A groundbreaking new book argues otherwise. From the German Peasants’ War to contemporary struggles ...

10/11/2026

Are you a farmer? Are you being exposed to pesticides that could kill you? What about the rest of your family and nature itself?

Study reveals that pesticide poisoning kills 11,000 people each year, with India accounting for nearly 60% of fatalities

10/01/2026

For those who don't know, I have a degree in Economics and also happen to teach the "dismal science" at Madison College - kudos to Tim Gibbons, the new executive director of the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) for calling out the false promise of "economic efficiency" when it comes to a just food/farm system!

Democracy demands a thriving food system that supports not only our land, but our farmers and communities.

09/28/2026

Anthony Pahnke, FFD vice president, weighs in on the upcoming G20 trade summit in Milwaukee and why so many workers and farmers are clamoring to be heard:

Anthony Pahnke: The meeting of world leaders to discuss global policy, starting on Sept. 30, provides a forum for working people to take to the streets to voice concerns.

09/26/2026

Check out the latest interview on WPR with Joel Greeno, FFD board member, about how diesel price hikes are hurting farmers and will probably lead to more bankruptcies.

We discuss a White House effort to cancel insurance for 760,000 people on the Affordable Care Act. Then, a farmer and the state’s ag secretary explain how high diesel prices […]

09/23/2026

State of the Agricultural Workforce: A Discussion about the Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act (SAWA) - Thurs. Sept. 24th at 1:00 pm CST - hosted by Farmworker Justice, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, and Rural Coalition. For more info and to register, visit:

Join Farmworker Justice, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, and Rural Coalition for a virtual policy roundtable examining the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act, introduced by Rep. GT Thompson. The legislation proposes some of the most significant changes to the H-2A program in decades and could re...

09/22/2026

Wondering about whether the latest version of H2A is good for family farmers and farm workers? Is it just creating another contingent disposable labor force (like the post WWII Bracero Program). Here is an article exploring that issue:

A new system of labor is concentrating power with corporate agriculture and away from self-organized farmworker crews.

09/19/2026

Wisconsin wants fair trade. 🌐

As global trade officials gather in Milwaukee for the G20 Trade Ministerial, Wisconsin workers and families have an opportunity to ask a basic question: Who is our trade policy supposed to work for? The Trump administration has made tariffs the centerpiece of its trade strategy. But working people need more than tariffs. We need good jobs, fair wages, strong communities, thriving family farms, environmental protections, and an economy where corporations don't get to write the rules for everyone else.

"Wi" deserve a worker-centered alternative to both the old corporate free-trade model and a tariff-only approach.

Join the fight for Fair Trade: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/1022730/

09/17/2026

Wisconsin wants fair trade. 🌐
As global trade officials gather in Milwaukee for the G20 Trade Ministerial, Wisconsin workers and families have an opportunity to ask a basic question: Who is our trade policy supposed to work for? The Trump administration has made tariffs the centerpiece of its trade strategy. But working people need more than tariffs. We need good jobs, fair wages, strong communities, thriving family farms, environmental protections, and an economy where corporations don't get to write the rules for everyone else. We deserve a worker-centered alternative to both the old corporate free-trade model and a tariff-only approach.
Join the fight for Fair Trade: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/1022730/ See less

As trade officials from around the world gather in Milwaukee for the G20 Trade Ministerial, join Wisconsin working families demanding fair trade policies that finally put the interests of people and communities ahead of greedy corporations. Like many places, Milwaukee is still dealing with the devas...