May 6, 2026, marked the Fourth Annual Illinois Black Farmer Lobby Day at the Capitol in Springfield, hosted by State Representative Sonya Harper and drawing over fifty farmers and advocates from across the state. The State Innovation Exchange Food, Agriculture, and Rural Economies Program has been proud to support this event since its inception. For the second year in a row, SiX brought state legislators for a “CROP Rotation” peer exchange. Four state representatives from Georgia and Michigan joined the SiX team for the lobby day for a first-hand view that they can draw on and be inspired by in planning similar events in their own states.
Rep. Harper, a longtime member of the SiX Cohort for Rural Opportunity and Prosperity (CROP), CROP Leader, and a former farmer herself, has been leading on agriculture policy and farmer equity issues for years. She was the first Black woman in the country to chair a state agriculture committee, a position she still holds today.
Rep. Harper speaks at the press conference for the 2026 Illinois Black Farmers and Growers Lobby Day
The Lobby Day began with breakfast and remarks from state officials including State Representatives Lisa Davis and Yolanda Morris. State Representative Michael Crawford, who is Black, said how good it was to see a room full of “people who look like us who are in the work of feeding us.” Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello discussed how proud he was of IDA’s equity initiatives, and the importance of having an IDA staffer in Chicago for the first time.
Following a press conference at the state house, farmers and advocates spread through the halls of the Capitol building to talk to their legislators about their experiences farming, their challenges, and the importance of good policy to address those challenges.
Black Farmer Lobby Day is in support of a suite of bills proposed by Rep. Harper, including:
- House Bill 4720 and House Bill 4922 expand Illinois’ Emerging and Socially Disadvantaged Farmer Grant programs, helping new farmers, farmers of color.
- House Bill 5300 creates a way to officially identify “Food Desert Zones” in Illinois so we can better target investment
- House Bill 4286 strengthens Illinois’ cannabis equity efforts by improving the Cannabis Equity Commission’s role and coordination, expanding opportunities for social equity applicants
For Georgia State Representatives Regina Lewis-Ward and Imani Barnes and Michigan State Representatives Emily Dievendorf and Kimberly Edwards, the day was energizing and inspiring. Rep. Dievendorf was struck by the strength of the organizing that had clearly made the day possible, including groups like Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Black Oaks Center, Urban Growers Collective, and many more.
From Left to Right: MI Rep. Emily Dievendorf, MI Rep. Kimberly Edwards, GA Rep. Dr. Imani Barnes, and GA Rep. Regina Lewis-Ward at the Illinois Capitol Rotunda.
“The community and collaboration are there,” Dievendorf observed of the relationships between all the groups. “It’s clearly not the first time they’ve done this!”
Rep. Lewis-Ward was honored to feel warmly welcomed by the Illinoisans. Many of the farmers and advocates were excited to speak to the out-of-state policymakers and share their experiences.
As Rep. Harper continues to be a leader in Illinois on farmer equity issues, the participants of the second annual CROP Rotation are looking to bring ideas and inspiration back to their state for the 2027 session and beyond.
If you are a state legislator interested in working on Black farmer equity issues please check out our state legislator resource here.