Statewide and National Civic Engagement as a farmer with Jack Hedin and Bill Pluecker

Jack Hedin of Featherstone Farm and Maine State Representative Bill Pluecker of Begin Again Farm share how their decades of civic engagement grew directly out of their identities as farmers and their desire to shape the policies that affect rural communities. Both farmers are candid about the real costs of that engagement, whether it's nearly losing a carrot crop while advocating in Washington or scaling a farm down from $120K to $10K in gross sales to make room for legislative work. From practical first steps like calling your rep's agriculture staffer to big wins like Maine's first-in-the-nation ban on sludge application, this episode showcases how farmers can play both the inside and outside game of civic power.