FCS Diversity and Inclusion - PROPOSED RULE - MARCH 2011 Dear Mr. Van Meter,
Thank you for the chance to comment on the ways in which the FCS can better serve farmers and food producers: small and midsized, local and regional. By strengthening our these parts of our food production system, we truly strengthen our entire country.
I support your efforts to diversify the FCS loan portfolio.
As you figure out what should be included in FCS marketing plans, please include a strong commitment to adding local and regional food producers to the FCS board, a publicly available outreach plan for communicating and engaging with the larger community of local and regional food producers, and a plan for how to use FCS local and regional food producer financing (along with other public and private capital) to identify and assist/address infrastructure strengths and weaknesses (aggregation, processing, distributing, etc.) in the local and regional food supply chain.
I see locally produced food as a growing strength which can benefit individuals, families, local communities and our entire country at every level. It deserves an carefully planned support system so that it can blossom and grow.