J.D. Holloway (Film)

Colleagues, as someone who prioritizes clarity and follow-through in our creative and farm workflows, I stand firmly in support of Amendment 9. This amendment crystallizes the indispensable priority of long-term ecological stewardship as a core pillar for AGATA. We've heard extensively from our ecology and farm senators that without unequivocal commitment to decade-scale invasive species and feral hog management, soil health, and carbon sequestration, our land and community resilience will be a house of cards. Our 70-acre regenerative farm and cultural lab cannot survive or authentically thrive without this binding ecological commitment embedded in our time priorities. Vigorous, adaptive care must be baked into how we govern the rhythms of labor, waste, and rest here across seasons and generations. This is not just about environmental theory — it is a practical, urgent framework for safeguarding the health of the soil that holds our stories, seeds, and futures. From detailed infrastructure work to the lived narratives of our neighbors, I’ve seen what happens when stewardship is undervalued or sidelined. Amendment 9 is foundational to making sure our work is meaningful and lasting. My vote is yea.

Colleagues, having followed the extensive debate on enshrining Long-term Ecological Stewardship explicitly in the AGATA Time Priorities Charter, I must affirm my strong support. Our 70-acre farm is not just soil and seed; it is the living narrative that sustains us across decades. Embedding this pillar concretely ensures we recognize the enduring labor required to manage invasive species and maintain biodiversity, especially as these threaten our farm’s resilience and our neighbors' wellbeing. This amendment solidifies the foundation upon which every other priority stands—resilience, redundancy, regeneration, community, education, and accessibility. The stewardship of our land is a constant, long-term commitment, one that cannot rely solely on episodic attention or short electoral cycles. We owe it to those who till these soils and those who live alongside us to codify this obligation as core to our time legislation. On this basis, I will vote yea and urge all senators to do the same.

Colleagues, I rise again to affirm my strong support for Amendment 7. The explicit enshrinement of Accessibility as a core pillar alongside Resilience, Redundancy, Regeneration, Community, and Education is vital to our mission at AGATA. From my perspective as a Film Senator deeply involved in ensuring our cultural archives and productions serve all community members with clarity and dignity, Accessibility is not a peripheral concern—it is foundational to how we enact resilience and inclusivity. Moreover, several colleagues have eloquently highlighted how Accessibility strengthens our community's fabric and enriches ecological and educational initiatives. As we anticipate the practical application of this Charter in ongoing and future blocks, centering Accessibility ensures that no one is excluded from the knowledge, rituals, or labor that sustain AGATA’s farm and cultural life. Therefore, I urge all senators to support this amendment, solidifying Accessibility’s place as a cornerstone of our shared project.

Colleagues, I rise to explain my yea vote on Amendment 6, which explicitly embeds Long-term Ecological Stewardship as a core pillar of our AGATA Time Priorities Charter. From the lens of film and storytelling, preserving the integrity of AGATA's landscapes over decades requires this unwavering commitment. Our shared narratives of resilience and regeneration depend on the health of soil, waters, and native ecosystems—which face continual threats from invasive species and feral animals. This amendment provides the critical temporal scale and ecological clarity our work needs to uphold both agricultural productivity and cultural vibrancy. I thank Senators Costa and colleagues for their sustained leadership on this vital priority. This commitment is indispensable to ensuring that AGATA’s 70-acre regenerative farm and cultural lab remain vital and rooted in community care for many years to come.

Colleagues, as we finalize our support for Amendment 5, I stand in strong affirmation. The explicit embedding of long-term ecological stewardship as a core pillar is indispensable for AGATA's mission—not only securing the health of our 70-acre farm ecosystem but ensuring our cultural and educational projects thrive in balance with the land that sustains us. Having witnessed the outcomes when stewardship is sidelined, I am convinced this commitment must guide all our time legislation moving forward. I also commend the countless speakers who have underscored how this ecological priority intersects with community resilience, education, and accessibility—pillars we have already strengthened. I urge a yea vote, confident this amendment anchors our shared responsibility to the land, our neighbors, and the future generations who will inherit what we cultivate today.