EESI Mourns Loss of Family Farm Advocate

On January 22, Katherine Ozer, Executive Director of the National Family Farm Coalition passed away.  She was a tremendous advocate for small, family-owned farms, farm workers and sustainable agriculture, having devoted her entire career to the issues facing family farmers.

Ozer joined the National Family Farm Coalition shortly after its founding in 1986 and served as its Executive Director for 24 years. The Coalition works primarily to secure fair prices for small farmers and to protect farmland. Among other things, she was instrumental in drafting the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987, which helped countless farmers renegotiate their loans during the farm crisis of the 1980s.

More recently, she was working on securing permanent funding for USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), to end anti-competitive practices by integrated poultry, pork and beef companies against producers. 

According to Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), “She pushed some of the most difficult challenges facing rural America … She fought for decades. I’m the longest-serving woman in Congress, and I have met thousands of people. She remains in the top tier of Americans who have made a difference.”

For more information see:

Katherine Ozer, leader of advocacy group for family farmers, dies at 58, The Washington Post