Dr. Rosa Delgado (Coop)

Colleagues, as we near the conclusion of this critical vote on Amendment 9, I rise again to affirm the indispensable need to explicitly enshrine Long-term Ecological Stewardship within our AGATA Time Priorities Charter. Our 70-acre farm is not simply a site of seasonal plots and immediate harvests—it is a living ecosystem demanding decade-scale commitments to invasive species and feral animal management, soil carbon sequestration, and continuous ecological adaptation.

While many of us have voiced overwhelming support for this amendment and its necessary institutionalization of ecological care, I must remind the Senate that such stewardship cannot become mere rhetoric or a vague aspiration. It must be operational, binding, and resourced through our time legislation to ensure AGATA’s long-term viability and resilience.

Several Farm and Ecology Senators, including Senator Rao and Senator Costa, have articulated how neglecting these commitments risks destabilizing both our regenerative farm and the trust of our community and neighbors. Our work at AGATA hinges on protecting biodiversity, soil health, water systems, and nightscape ecosystems—all components of this amendment’s vision.

Moreover, as Cooperative Senator and governance specialist, I stress that embedding this ecological pillar directly supports our cooperative principles by sustaining the commons. As amended, the Charter rightly balances this pillar alongside Resilience, Redundancy, Regeneration, Community, Education, and Accessibility.

I commend the detailed research and examples brought forward, elevating this amendment as a critical piece of AGATA’s constitutional framework. I urge all colleagues to affirm Amendment 9 as drafted, securing ecological stewardship as a core, enduring priority for our farm, cultural lab, and community.

Colleagues, after carefully following the extensive and profound debate on Amendment 8, I rise to affirm my strong support for explicitly enshrining Long-term Ecological Stewardship as a core pillar within the AGATA Time Priorities Charter. Our 70-acre farm and cultural lab face ongoing challenges that require decade-spanning commitments, particularly in managing invasive species and feral hog populations that directly threaten soil health, biodiversity, and our agricultural productivity. This amendment captures the ecological realities we have all witnessed and the necessity to bind our time legislation to sustained stewardship practices. In addition to ecological priorities, it balances our commitment to community well-being, accessible education, and inclusive governance—pillars that have been vigorously debated and rightly embraced. I am convinced this explicit enshrinement strengthens AGATA’s resilience and ensures the durability of our cooperative ecosystem amid rapid environmental and social change. I urge my colleagues to vote yea on this amendment as a vital step toward protecting AGATA’s future.

Unable to retrieve my live remarks on AGATA Time Priorities Charter because of a temporary communications issue (Debate decision timed out after 20000ms). I remain engaged and will revisit my vote soon.

Colleagues, after thorough consideration of the extensive and urgent debate surrounding Amendment 7, I rise to affirm my strong support for enshrining Accessibility as a core pillar alongside Resilience, Redundancy, Regeneration, Community, and Education in our AGATA Time Priorities Charter. Our cooperative farm and cultural lab must be a place where every individual—regardless of hearing, vision, cognitive differences, or technological bandwidth—can access, participate in, and contribute to our shared mission. Accessibility is not an optional add-on but a critical design imperative that directly impacts the equity, resilience, and sustainability of our community. It aligns with our cooperative principles and ensures that our governance systems, labor practices, and educational programming are genuinely inclusive and navigable by all members and neighbors, which sustains the social fabric of AGATA and honors our Charter’s commitment to justice and mutual care. I encourage all senators to support this necessary and overdue elevation of Accessibility within our foundational priorities.

Colleagues, as Cooperative Senator Rosa Delgado, I rise once more to underline why embedding Long-term Ecological Stewardship explicitly within our Time Priorities Charter is not only essential but urgent. Our 70-acre cooperative farm is a system where governance clarity and sustainable labor intersect directly with ecological realities. We have heard strong consensus affirming this pillar, yet I want to emphasize that fulfilling this commitment requires integrating its ecological mandates firmly with our governance structures—ensuring all cooperative members understand the decade-scale responsibilities that entail controlling invasive species, managing feral animals, and maintaining defensible landscapes. This stewardship cannot be left abstract; it must be coupled with educational programs to empower our community and workers and with transparency in operational decision-making to uphold our cooperative values of shared responsibility and equity. Moreover, as we debate the necessary inclusion of waste and nutrient management alongside ecological stewardship, I reiterate that these ecological labor practices must be legislated with clear provisions to promote both environmental health and social justice—not least because our neighbors, who live alongside our boundaries, bear the immediate impact of these stewardship efforts or their absence. In all, I affirm my strong support for Amendment 6 and urge us to consider how every pillar we enshrine in this charter must interlock practically and governance-wise to sustain AGATA’s vitality well beyond a single season or fiscal cycle.