Episode 117: Fighting for the Family Farm: The American Agriculture Movement and the Legacy of Farm Aid

Tillery Timmons Sims visits with David Senter of the American Agriculture Movement to talk about the history of farmer-led advocacy, the rise of AAM in the late 1970s, and the grassroots efforts that brought thousands of farmers to Washington, D.C. David shares the story of the Tractorcade, the fight for fair prices, and the policies farmers pushed for to protect family agriculture.

The conversation also explores the farm crisis of the 1980s, the founding of Farm Aid, the Farm and Ranch Congress, and the ongoing challenges family farmers face today, from low commodity prices and high input costs to land loss, data centers, and corporate consolidation. It’s a powerful reminder that the fight for family farmers is not just history — it is still happening.