The Fight for Small Farms: From Texas Fields to Capitol Hill

Last year, I found myself at Carnation Farms in Seattle, Washington surrounded by chefs who, like me, believe food is more than what’s on the plate—it’s about the systems that bring it there. I attended the James Beard Foundation’s Chef Bootcamp for Policy and Change™—an experience that deepened my understanding of how chefs can be powerful advocates. We’re more than just the people behind the stove; we shape food systems, build relationships with farmers, and connect people to what’s growing in their own backyards.

The Journey: From East Austin to Bastrop, Texas

My farm-to-table story started in 2013 when my partner and I opened Eden East at Springdale Farm in East Austin, Texas. It was a magical place: diners sat at long wooden tables under the stars, surrounded by the produce that made up their meal. My partner David Barrow and I built a deep connection with the farm’s original stewards, Glen and Paula Foore, and worked alongside urban farmers like Carol Ann and the late Larry Butler of Boggy Creek Farm, and Skip and Erin Flynn of Green Gate Farm—all of whom had been growing in East Austin long before farm-to-table dining was a trend.

But in 2018, our land was sold to developers. Everything we had built, everything we had nurtured, was suddenly at risk of disappearing—and walking away was not an option. The soil that generations had cultivated—rich with decades of history and nutrients—was too valuable to leave behind. So, we moved it. Seventeen dump-truck loads of soil were trucked out of East Austin and into Bastrop where we started over again.

The work, which occurred during a global pandemic, was grueling, expensive, and at times completely overwhelming. But what kept us going was the belief that small farms matter. That they are the heartbeat of a local food economy. That they deserve to be recognized and protected.

Bringing the Fight to Capitol Hill

That fight led me to Washington, D.C. on December 4, 2024 as part of the Climate Solutions for Restaurant Survival campaign run by the James Beard Foundation. I sat with representatives from the offices of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and urged them to take a closer look at how policy affects small farms. We talked about the need for federal support for farms like ours. I made it particularly clear how important conservation programs run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are to farmers and restaurants. Like thousands of fellow farmers nationwide, these programs have strengthened my farm, improved soil health, and made my land more resistant to the increasingly extreme weather we face. Some members of Congress want to cut this funding—an act that would hurt farmers and independent restaurants (I know because I run both).

It’s easy for lawmakers to think of farming in terms of thousands of acres of commodity crops, but what about small farms like mine—just under ten acres that feed hundreds of people, support local restaurants, and create jobs in their communities? That’s the conversation I wanted to have. I invited both senators to come see for themselves and, to my surprise, they agreed.

When Washington Came to the Texas Farm

On December 19, 2024, Brandon Simon, Central Texas regional director for Senator Cruz’s office, arrived at Eden East Farm. He walked the fields, met the team, and followed a fresh harvest from the farm to our restaurant kitchen at Store House Market & Eatery in downtown Bastrop. He saw how every ingredient is part of a larger story, how each step in our process—growing, harvesting, cooking, composting—keeps the farm and restaurant connected in a cycle that supports our entire community.

A few weeks after that, on February 5, 2025, we welcomed Dylan Bricker, Central Texas deputy regional director for Senator Cornyn’s office. We talked about jobs, small business support, and the economic role of small farms. We showed him the caterpillar tunnel we installed with a National Resources Conservation Services grant, a lifeline after our crops were wiped out by hail in April 2024. We stood in fields of newly planted native grasslands, a restoration project made possible by the same program.

At one point, Bricker reminisced about visiting a strawberry farm in California as a kid and recalled how the berries were the sweetest he’d ever tasted. That simple memory—the taste of something fresh and real—was a moment of connection. It was a reminder that farms aren’t just businesses; they’re places where people experience food in its purest form.

The Problem: An Outdated System

Despite everything we do—the food we grow, the jobs we create, the sustainability we practice—small farms like ours are still not recognized the way they should be.

Current agricultural policies favor large-scale commodity farms, offering tax breaks and subsidies that small farms don’t qualify for. Even though we produce thousands of pounds of food, we don’t meet the land size requirements for many of these benefits. This gap in policy has real consequences. It means small farms struggle to stay afloat while corporate agriculture dominates the landscape. It means the food system drifts further away from being community-based, sustainable, and a beacon for local jobs.

What’s Next? Keeping the Conversation Going!

These meetings in Washington were just the start. The fight for small farms doesn’t end with a handshake and a tour—it continues with action.

I want to bring lawmakers back, not just to visit, but to sit down for a meal, to break bread, and have real conversations about the policies that shape our food system. When people see and taste the impact of small farms, the conversation changes. I’m advocating for policies that recognize small urban farms—not as hobbies but economic engines. Farms under ten acres that produce real food should qualify for tax breaks, incentives, and protections. That’s the next step.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just about one farm. It’s about all of us.

When small farms thrive, communities thrive. Food dollars circulate locally. Restaurants source better ingredients. Families get access to fresh, seasonal produce. We’re building resilience—not just in our soil, but in our economy. That is the food system worth fighting for. That is why I joined the Climate Solutions for Restaurant Survival campaign, which fights to protect the conservation programs that farmers and independent restaurants desperately need.

I’m asking you to fight for it with me. Call your member of Congress. Invite them to come visit you. Spark a dialogue around change—because change doesn’t happen in policy rooms alone. It happens at the dinner table. It happens when we choose to buy local. It happens when we speak up.

Let’s keep the conversation going. Let’s build a future where small farms aren’t just surviving, they’re thriving.

Chef Sonya Cote is the proprietor of Store House Market & Eatery and Eden East Farm in Texas. She is an alum of the James Beard Foundation's Chef Bootcamp for Policy and Change™ and Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (WEL) program.