Applications are open now through end of day Monday, April 27th, 2026 — apply today!
Earlier this year, Monti Lawson — farmer, organizer, and founder of Catalyst Collaborative Farm — came to us with an idea. He’d been watching what happens after people go through advocacy trainings: they get activated, they show up, and then they go back to doing that work mostly alone. The momentum fades. The relationships weaken. The hard-won skills go underused because there’s nowhere to keep using them together. Monti wanted to close that gap — and so did we. That conversation sparked what we are now launching: Food for the Spirit’s 2026 Policy Working Group Pilot, a relational and political home for people engaged in food and farm advocacy in New York State.
The working group is for people working in the food and farming space at any level, in any role, who have identified something they want to change and are doing something about it — that’s our definition of an advocate. You don’t need a policy background or a fancy title. You just need to care about something and be willing to show up — not just for the work, but for the people in the room. We’re especially excited to hear from folks who are part of networks we are affiliated with (BFEN, FLAN, BlackRoots, Buffalo Bypass, or NY Foodways), alumni of our Public Narrative Trainings or storytelling workshops, or anyone who’s been pushing for change in their community and craving a team that gets the context.
Click here to read our overview document and click here to apply.