Washington, D.C. — The National Family Farm Coalition, Rural Vermont, the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, and Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (collectively, the “organizations”) have launched a week of action to advocate for the LOCAL FOODS Act of 2025, a bill that clarifies and protects longstanding on-farm slaughter practices. 

The bipartisan and bicameral LOCAL Foods Act of 2025 was introduced in the Senate (S. 1212) by Senators Peter Welch [D-VT], Bernie Sanders [I-VT], Mike Lee [R-UT], and Martin Heinrich [D-NM]. It was introduced in the House (H.R. 5341) by Representative Eugene Vindman [D-VA], and co-sponsored by James R. Baird [R-IN], Michael Cloud [R-TX], Lauren Boebert [R-CO], and Suhas Subramanyam [D-VA].  

The Act clarifies the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), to ensure that livestock owners can legally have their animals slaughtered on the farm by the person of their choice for their personal and household use. This clarification protects a safe and longstanding direct-to-consumer pathway that supports resilient local meat supply chains, sets clear rules for producers, and provides consumers with more food options. 

The organizations represent and advocate for farmers, ranchers, homesteaders, small food business owners, and consumers across the United States who would benefit from more equitable, decentralized, and sustainable systems of food production and distribution.

By mobilizing their members and networks for this week of action, the organizations are seeking additional co-sponsors for the LOCAL Foods Act. Supporters can participate on social media and by encouraging their representatives to sign on to the legislation, using talking points provided by the organizations. 

“The LOCAL Foods Act keeps an essential market pathway open for farmers and ranchers while defending consumers’ freedom to buy the foods they want straight from the source,” said Christine Dzujna, Legal Services and Policy Manager of Farm-To-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. “This builds stronger, more self-reliant communities.”

“Family farms often operate on razor-thin margins and cannot afford the hurdles presented by the consolidated meat processing industry. By protecting on-farm slaughter practices, the LOCAL Foods Act will help the bottom line for many small- and mid-size producers across the country, and in turn help to revitalize our rural and local economies,” shared the National Family Farm Coalition.  

“Utilizing direct-to-consumer on-farm slaughter services relies on this clarification. In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron doctrine, meaning how courts might interpret the 2018 USDA guidance, which allows for on-farm slaughter, is questionable.  Thousands of farmers and ranchers in the 27 states that utilize this practice are now in limbo until this aspect of the Right to Grow Food is enshrined in the letter of the law,” said Caroline Sherman Gordon, Legislative Director of Rural Vermont. 

“People who choose to go to the farm and invest in a live animal because they specifically want the meat for their family to come from that farm should have the freedom to do so without unnecessary government regulations,” said Judith McGeary, Founder and Executive Director of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance. “And our farmers need clear statutory language that doesn’t change at the whim of each new Administration.”

Falls Church, VA – Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) is pleased to announce the launch of its sister organization, Food of Choice, a 501(c)(3)* nonprofit dedicated to advancing food freedom through education, empowerment, and strategic public-interest litigation. 

While FTCLDF, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, provides direct legal representation and advocates for better food policies, Food of Choice will broaden the reach of this mission.

Food of Choice will…   

• Educate: FOC will create accessible resources to help individuals understand their food rights and navigate complex food laws.   

• Defend: FOC will advance food freedom through strategic public-interest litigation that benefits the wider food and farming community.   

• Empower: FOC will work to increase consumer autonomy over food choices, connecting people with the tools and information needed to build resilient local food systems and communities.   

“All too often, federal, state, and local regulations favor large corporate-owned food producers, creating barriers for small and mid-sized producers,” said Alexia Kulwiec, president of the board of directors for Food of Choice. “Meanwhile, demand for local food continues to grow, and consumers are becoming more active and knowledgeable participants in their local food system. Yet our outdated regulations simultaneously inhibit independent producers and limit consumer choice.” 

U.S. groceries are controlled by four transnational corporations. Likewise, the U.S. supply of beef, pork, and poultry are controlled by a handful of corporate players, limiting consumers’ options and driving up prices. Consolidation is exacerbated by the lack of scale-appropriate regulations, which discourage the growth of small- and mid-sized producers who could otherwise expand food options for consumers. 

Through education and public-interest litigation, Food of Choice seeks to remove regulatory barriers and government overreach, ensuring everyone has the freedom to make informed choices about the food they grow, raise, sell, share, purchase, and consume. 

“We launched Food of Choice to expand opportunity for producers and empower consumers to build food systems that work for them,” concluded Kulwiec. 

For more information about Food of Choice, visit foodofchoice.org. 

*Food of Choice, Inc. has filed for recognition as a Section 501 (c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code. 

Augusta, ME – Effective today, Maine LD 124 significantly strengthens the Maine Food Sovereignty Act. Prompted in part by a lawsuit filed by Farm-to–Consumer Legal Defense Fund and its member, the amendments to Act now explicitly authorize meals prepared in home kitchens to be sold directly to consumers.

When the Maine Department of Health and Human Services shuttered Kenduskeag Kitchen, a home-based business selling locally-sourced prepared meals, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund sued the state. Although a local ordinance under the sovereignty law permitted the business to operate without a license, the state demanded a cost-prohibitive commercial kitchen and shut them down. 

In response, Maine Senator Craig Hickman introduced amendments to strengthen Maine’s Food Sovereignty Act due to the DHHS’s resistance to interpret the original language correctly. Importantly for Kenduskeag Kitchen and businesses like it, LD 124 explicitly authorizes meals prepared in a home kitchen and sold directly to consumers. 

“The passage of LD124, as a direct result of the legislation between myself and DHHS, is a win not only for my family but for all Mainers,” said Kenduskeag Kitchen owner Rhiannon Deschaine. 

“Maine’s food sovereignty law now offers true assurance that local authority will be recognized, said FTCLDF Executive Director Alexia Kulwiec. “Communities can protect their citizens’ rights to buy and sell food anywhere on its journey from farm to table.” 

“The state of Maine has a real food sovereignty champion in Senator Hickman,” Kulwiec concluded. 

The amendments introduced by Maine Senator Hickman in early 2025: 

• Introduce stronger language to protect the right to food sovereignty, now defined as “the right of persons to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods and the right of persons to define their own food and agriculture systems.”  

• Clarify that Maine communities may adopt ordinances that honor “traditional foodways.”   

• Explicitly include meals prepared in a home kitchen in its definition of direct producer-to-consumer transactions. 

FTCLDF appreciates of the efforts of Kenduskeag Kitchen, Maine food sovereignty leader Heather Retberg, Food for Maine’s Future, Senator Craig Hickman, and all FTCLDF supporters who pitched in to help fund the litigation necessary to spur important policy change.  

For a full timeline of this case and the more about food sovereignty in Maine, please see the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund’s recent article.