Alicia Thompson

National Young Farmers Coalition

We believe we have one generation to transform agriculture in service to our communities and the land.

We are that generation

We are farmers and ranchers who steward the struggle to transform agriculture. We are an intersectional coalition that works for justice and collective liberation of our food and farm systems. We champion policies that resource connections to the land and foster our health in the face of climate crisis. We advocate for policies that recognize farming as a public service. We work in partnership with social justice movements for a future in which people, land, and relationships are respected. We aspire to stand in ever greater solidarity with global movements that advance human rights – especially the right to food and place.

THEORY OF CHANGE
Young farmers, when resourced and trained to share their stories with lawmakers, can remake the food system to be more equitable, just, and in service to our communities and the land.

Mission
We shift power and change policy to equitably resource our new generation of working farmers.

Vision
We envision a just future where farming is free of racial violence, accessible to communities, oriented towards environmental well-being, and concerned with health over profit.I identify as a Navajo woman – my maternal clan is Towering House. Currently located near the base of the sacred Mount Taylor, in the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico. I am a landless farmer with chickens, honeybees, and a native plants and foods nursery. My current work includes building a food forest demonstration garden using Indigenous permaculture and traditional knowledge. I am also an Indigenous consultant who provides guidance on working with tribal partners, and guidance for tribes in native nation building strategies. I completed my graduate education from Northern Arizona University, with my studies focused around Indigenous food ways and integrating that into Indigenous environmental management. I am grateful for my mentors in the Applied Indigenous Studies department, School of Forestry and those working directly in Indigenous communities to strengthen Indigenous food sovereignty and food security.

2024 Roundtable Facilitator

Advocacy, Storytelling and Allyship

2023 Plenary

Southwest Agroforestry from an Indigenous Perspective

This presentation will provide examples of ancestral and current Indigenous farming practices that have sustained communities and cultures in the Southwest for thousands of years. These agricultural practices can revitalize a local landscape into an edible landscape that is reflective of our bioregion and our diets.