.png)
Proposed IL Law Would Help "Emerging" and "Disadvantaged" Farmers
- Bob Heuer
- May 5
- 5 min read
Illinois Residents: Contact Your State Senator
By Bob Heuer/HNA Networks
LaShawn Miller, a food systems advocate who farms on Chicago's West Side, went to the state Capitol in Springfield recently to lobby for a new grant program that would assist “Emerging and Socially Disadvantaged” farmers.
The experience of testifying to state lawmakers left her with a good news/bad news
feeling.
”The energy was focused but tense,” Miller says of the mood that day inside the state House Agriculture and Conservation Committee room. “There was clear agreement that investment in agriculture is needed, but less agreement on how and where those resources should be distributed.”
Local Food Forum introduced LaShawn and her work in the Garfield Park neighborhood last November. (Click here to access the story). Since January 2025, the owner/operator of Finding Justice Garden has augmented her income as a policy organizer for Illinois Stewardship Alliance, the leading non-profit advocate for the state's local farm and food communities.
In 2023, the Springfield-based Alliance helped persuade state lawmakers to establish the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program. The $2 million a year program— administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture — bolsters the development of food hubs, community kitchens, mills, canneries, trucking and other assets supporting local food processing and distribution.
Each year, Alliance members press lawmakers to ensure that the opaque appropriations process continues to include the $2 million for local food infrastructure grants in the annual budget.
The Alliance’s 2026 priority is to advocate for the new grant program currently
working through legislative channels as House Bill 4922. HB4922 would establish a
$2.5 million a year grant program for farmers facing “systemic and structural barriers that constrain agricultural production, business viability, and participation in local and regional food systems.”
Despite the contention that LaShawn witnessed during her committee testimony, the state House passed the measure on April 17 by a 77-19 vote. But the bill and accompanying appropriations legislation to fund the programs needs to be approved by the state Senate.
Here’s a link to send message to your state senator urging support for this legislation.
“We all know that $2.5 million is not enough to meet the scale of need across Illinois,” LaShawn says. “But it’s a start. And it’s a way for Illinois lawmakers to demonstrate a commitment to farmers who lack the resources to sustain or grow.”
What’s in HB4922’s Name?
The proposed “Emerging and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Infrastructure and
Market Access Grant Program” is sponsored by State Rep. Sonya Harper. The South Side Chicago Democrat is the first Black lawmaker to chair the Illinois House Agriculture and Conservation Committee.
”Emerging farmers” is a term that Rep. Harper picked up from conversations with
Illinois’ largest agricultural lender: Wisconsin-based Compeer Financial. Its Emerging Markets loan portfolio focuses on “farmers operating in local and regional food systems.”
Compeer loan officer Sarah Hoerner is an invaluable resource for farmers in the Illinois’ local food marketplace. Yet, Emerging Markets loans account for a minuscule .24 percent of Compeer’s overall loan portfolio. (Corn and soybean farmers are the core customer base for this affiliate of Farm Credit System, the federal-government-sponsored ag lending giant.)
“Socially Disadvantaged Farmer” is a Congressional designation established in 1990 to help ensure that specific federal funding programs address a history of documented discrimination against minority farmers by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (In 2025, USDA purged the use of the “socially disadvantaged” criteria in farm programs even though the provision remains part of federal law.)
Emerging and Socially Disadvantaged
As a Black woman farmer, LaShawn Miller identifies with both terms. And she says the distinction matters: “‘Emerging’ speaks to stage; ‘socially disadvantaged’ speaks to systemic condition.”
She continued:
“As an emerging farmer, I represent the reality of building an agricultural operation
from the ground up without generational land, inherited infrastructure or established
market access. As a socially disadvantaged farmer, I experience the longstanding
impacts of systemic inequities — limited access to land ownership, financing and
institutional procurement opportunities. These are not just starting-point challenges; they are ongoing barriers that shape how and whether growth is possible.”
The proposed grant program would be administered by the Illinois Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The bill stipulates that “at least 80 percent of
awarded grants” go to the priority farmer groups.
Seed Funding with On-the-Ground Impact
“This investment would allow us to build the infrastructure needed to move from
small-scale growing to a stable, year-round operation,” LaShawn says. “That includes things like cold storage, wash and pack systems, and ultimately controlled
environment agriculture that allows us to grow food consistently, regardless of
season.”
Limitation is not demand. It is capacity.
“There is a clear need for fresh, locally grown food in our communities,” she
explains. “We quickly distribute produce to food pantries and community sites. But
without the right infrastructure, we lose time, we lose product and we lose the ability
to scale.”
That limitation extends beyond the farm. In West Side Chicago neighborhoods, access to nutritious food is “directly tied to health outcomes, economic opportunity and quality of life,” LaShawn says. “When we can’t produce at scale, it means fewer families have access to fresh food, fewer dollars stay circulating locally, and fewer opportunities exist for workforce development.”
Permanent Grant Program to Help Shift That Reality
“This is about building a system where farmers can process, distribute and sell the
food they grow,” she says. “It’s about creating pathways to stability — ownership,
income, and long-term sustainability — not just for farms, but for entire communities.”
On March 24, LaShawn spoke to the state panel about the struggles facing small farmers in both urban and rural areas. “We all have limited access to financial capital. We all need funding structures that don’t exclude us through matching requirements or reimbursement models. Without equitable investment, we cannot scale production to meet the growing demand for local food.”
“Committee members were attentive and there were no direct challenges to the
need itself,” she reflects. “But the questions and discussion reflected a broader
concern about allocation — who benefits and where the dollars go.”
The committee approved the bill on a 6-3 vote. On April 17, HB4922 was approved by the full House and sent to the State Senate. (Both chambers need to approve legislation before Gov. J.B. Pritzker would consider signing it into law.)
“HB4922” Top Priority at 4th Annual Black Farmer Grower Lobby Day
Passage of HB4922 will be a priority message today (May 6) at the 4th annual Black
Farmer Grower Lobby Day. (See Local Food Forum’s 2025 lobby day story here. )
Rep. Harper leads the lobby day event. Buses will come from Englewood — her political base on Chicago’s South Side — and Pembroke Township, a historic Black farming community in Kankakee County. Illinois Stewardship Alliance members and representatives of other organizations will be coming from other parts of Illinois.
LaShawn Miller plans to be in Springfield to help attendees meet with their lawmakers.
“HB4922 is about more than one program,” she says. “It’s about creating a pathway
for small farmers statewide to access the capital, infrastructure and markets needed
to fully serve their communities. If we are serious about food access, economic
development and resilience, we have to invest accordingly and continue building
from this foundation.”
Bob Heuer leads HNA Networks which is developing a project in partnership with
Chicago Wilderness Alliance to pilot the National Association of Counties’ “Good Food For All” policy. Reach Bob at bob@hnanetworks.net.