[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 187 (Wednesday, November 28, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S7184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ENID WONNACOTT

 Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President today, I would like to recognize an 
extraordinary Vermonter, Enid Wonnacott, on her more than 30 years as 
executive director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of 
Vermont, NOFA-VT. For three decades, Enid has worked tirelessly to 
build the organic agriculture movement and develop a sustainable, 
resilient, and accessible food system in our State of Vermont and 
across the United States.
  During Enid's tenure at NOFA-VT, Vermont has grown from 50 organic 
farms to more than 700, and many of those farmers, as well as countless 
consumers and agricultural advocates, have benefitted greatly from 
technical assistance and training provided by NOFA-VT under Enid's 
guidance.
  Recognizing that those farmers need good market opportunities to be 
viable businesses, Enid helped foster the growth of farmers' markets, 
community supported agriculture, and initiatives for institutions to 
procure locally grown food. She helped develop Vermont's farm-to-school 
program that provides students with healthy food and connects them to 
local agriculture through educational programming. I especially 
appreciate Enid's long-held belief, which I share, that healthy local 
food should be accessible to all people regardless of income, and I 
applaud NOFA-VT's efforts to make good food affordable through 
subsidized farmers' market coupons, CSA shares, and more.
   Enid has worked on many Federal and State policies to promote 
sustainable agriculture. She was instrumental in developing Federal 
organic standards and was an early advocate for agricultural systems 
whereby farmers enhance the quality of the soil and environment while 
they also produce healthy food. Enid has been mentor to many 
agriculture and food system leaders throughout the State and region and 
has served on the Vermont Sustainable Agriculture Council. It should 
come as no surprise to anyone who knows her, Enid received the Vermont 
Agriculture Hall of Fame Award this year for her many contributions to 
our State.
  Of course, Enid did not do these things alone. First, she has an 
excellent and committed staff, but perhaps even more important, she has 
the unwavering support of her husband Harry Frank and their wonderful 
children, Lila and Eli. Her family is a large part of Enid's success, 
including the countless hours they spent working alongside her at NOFA 
events, more than a few of which involved staffing a portable, wood-
fired pizza hearth.
  I am not only enormously grateful for al of Enid's many contributions 
over the years, but I am also proud to count her as a good friend. At a 
time when there is a growing recognition of the profound impact 
agriculture and food have on our health and the health of the planet, 
it is heartening to know that we have people like Enid Wonnacott 
fighting for a more environmentally sound and fundamentally just food 
system.

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