The Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA’s mission is to cultivate markets, policies, and communities that sustain thriving, socially just, and environmentally sound family farms. RAFI works nationally and internationally, focusing on North Carolina and the southeastern United States. RAFI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Pittsboro, North Carolina and incorporated in 1990.

Learned about this excellent organization on my last visit to Carrboro North Carolina while I was there working with my colleague Sarah Blacklin, (she late of the Carrboro Farmers Market and now working on statewide analysis of meat production); RAFI’s excellent deep work with farmers is one of the reasons that North Carolina are seeing entrepreneurial farming in larger numbers, and I am sure that they are more than willing to share that credit with a host of other NGOs and universities as well.

This fundraiser idea is a great one and no matter where you are in the US, you might want to look into it and support their work more closely.

The Crop Hop: Celebrating Family Farmers & Supporting Farm Advocacy.