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Author: Hannah Smith-Brubaker, Executive Director
Dear Pasa Community,
Earlier today, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) and Public Rights Project jointly filed a lawsuit against the US government for unlawfully withholding approved federal funds. The plaintiffs include: The Sustainability Institute; Agrarian Trust; Bronx River Alliance; CleanAIRE NC; Conservation Innovation Fund; Marbleseed; and the cities of Baltimore, Maryland; Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; New Haven, Connecticut; and San Diego, California.
I am proud to share that Pasa Sustainable Agriculture is being represented as a plaintiff this pivotal case. You can read more in our official Press Release, which was published earlier today.
Like many of the peer organizations and municipalities whom we stand alongside in this suit, Pasa and the community we serve have sustained irreparable harm as a direct result of the federal funding freeze.
This suit seeks justice for that harm, and we are confident that justice will be served. Why? Because we’ve done everything by the book, and honored our end of these binding agreements. Our challenge to the federal government is simple: restore trust by honoring yours.
Pasa has spent decades building trust, delivering on our promises, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the farmers we serve. This legal challenge is not just about us—it’s about every farmer, every community, and every promise that should never have been broken. We are not backing down; we are not walking away. We are fighting because the stakes are too high, the consequences too great, and the cause too just.
We are deeply grateful to the SELC and Public Rights Project for taking on this case and for doing so pro bono. With their expert representation, Pasa is fully prepared to see this case through, demand accountability, and ensure that our binding agreement is honored. We will not rest until our funding is restored and we can continue carrying out our mission of securing a more sustainable and just agricultural system for future generations.
To learn more about the federal funding freeze, its impact on Pasa and our community, and the recently filed suit, I invite you all to join me at a virtual Town Hall, scheduled for Wednesday, March 26th at 6:30 pm EDT. Please register to attend at this link. All are welcome.
Until then,
Hannah Smith-Brubaker
Executive Director, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture
