UPDATED 4/6 [See time sensitive advocacy issues at the bottom] Times of crisis test not only the character of individuals but reveal the flaws in our man-made systems – including how we get food from farm to table. As we face the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, many will feel a loss of control, safety and security. It is natural to cycle through the stages of grief during times like these: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. As someone working with nonprofits and farmers (arguably the riskiest small business of all), we must quickly move to the next stage: action. Nonprofits notoriously run on shoe string budgets, tenuous at the best of times; these organizations face further pressure in times of crisis because they often are charged with serving the most under resourced, under represented, and vulnerable populations. In parallel, our food system (especially our local food supply chain) from farmers, field workers and food hubs to food banks, farmers markets, and restaurants, are all operating on the tightest of margins, the lowest of wages, and the highest levels of risk often directly dependent on uncontrollable variables such as the weather and the economy. In summary, this crisis is about to create a ripple effect that will place both those most vulnerable and those serving them at risk. Which brings us to the question: how can we increase our resiliency in this time of crisis?

First, we should all regularly review the recommendations directly from the CDC including testing, best practices, and posters.

Second, it is important that we spend time learning how we can take care of ourselves as individuals first, including accessing healthcare through tele-health programs when possible (in Charleston, MUSC is providing tele-health coronavirus screenings with promo code “COVID19”). Third, keep an eye on information mapping the spread of this virus (but honestly, it is just pretty depressing). And finally, we all could use some good old fashion advice from an Italian Grandma, some heart warming community singing to lift our spirits, or an inspiring compilation of some GOOD NEWS from across the country. Now that the basics are covered, we can dig in to the tactical aspects of this challenge.

Resources for the front lines

To all the nonprofit leaders out there (and social impact businesses a like), if there is one thing that our industry is capable of, it is acting quickly on a tight budget with a spirit of collaboration. So many organizations have pulled together incredible tools/resources shared below. Together SC created this incredible post: “What to do if the Coronavirus comes to call” that outlines a thought process as well as shares tools. Resources range from internal operation considerations, communication strategies to recommendations on “shoring up financial reserves” and considerations around discrimination relating to the virus. You can also check out risk management tools for your team, tools on what your board should being doing during this time , how to handle cancelling an event, how to manage teams while working remotely, and how to shift your strategic plan in a time of crisis. As employers it is also important to keep up to date with the fair labor standards, strategies for shifting your human resource practices, and unemployment policies during this time (also check your local Department of Employment). Lowcountry Local First advocates for local businesses (including farmers) in South Carolina and has already begun gathering feedback from their members through this survey to collect and share ideas for weathering this storm and supporting local businesses and farmers safely during this crisis. If you are looking for an active nonprofit Facebook community, check out the Nonprofit Happy Hour official COVID Development Teams thread.

LISTS OF LISTS: National Good Food Network has compiled this folder on Google Drive to store the valuable resources that are being passed along in their COVID-19 ListServ which includes Resource Spreadsheet with resources curated from across the country and organized by food systems topic. For folks in the Southeast, here is a compilation by state from Southern SAWG. ATTRA has an easily searchable directory that does include funding resources and ASAN created this great highly organized spreadsheet with tabs full of resources for all of the categories listed below- many of the resources are specific to AL but also includes regional and national as well.

HEAL Food Alliance has created robust working documents full of resources as well as Food & Land Sovereignty Resource List for COVID-19 (compiled by Soul Fire Farm, Black Farmer Fund, and Northeast Farmers of Color). The National Council of Nonprofits includes resources in addition to those above “Nonprofits and Coronavirus, COVID-19”. The Restaurant Workers Community Foundation list includes information and resources for restaurants and workers. Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future’s Food Policy Networks team has compiled Food Policy Council focused list of resources, models/examples, funding, and other shared practices in COVID-19 response. Clara.nibbelink@gmail.com compiled and organized resources into Google Drive folders and By Vanessa Garcia Polanco has created an incredible list of articles.

FUNDING: The National Center for Family Philanthropy has compiled a list of funding that includes this incredible map of local funding across the nation. Step one, see above. Farmers, see the section below. In addition to the robust list of funding sources above, you can also Apply for Disaster Assistance Loans for Small Businesses Impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19) through the Small Business Administration (SBA). Food Access groups can apply for funding in support of youth food access programming. If you are a prior Crossroads funding recipient, you can apply for additional support. I would encourage those working in food and beverage to see if there are local fundraisers, like those hosted in Chicago or the virtual tip jar sites listed in the article.

I am working on transcribing the list below but until then, see below.

FOOD ACCESS groups, as noted above can now apply for funding in support of youth food access programming. USDA proposed a number of changes to school meal programs – comment period ends March 23, 2020. There is also this helpful handout on where and how to donate food that can be shared with your networks. Eat Smart Move More SC created an incredible list of resources including best practices on how to safely distribute food using grab-and-go and other distributions techniques. There is also a great example of creative food distribution strategies in NYC, a national Gleaning Map for food recovery, and an online food calculator for shopping during a pandemic.

COMMUNICATION TOOLS: As we all begin the process of social distancing, quarantines, and in some cases, sheltering in place, we will rely more heavily on digital communication tools. As someone that already works from home, I can say that there are an array of choices. Google and Microsoft are offering their conferencing tools free-of-charge for a limited time. Slack’s free version is very robust and I highly recommend it for teams or collaborations, including industry collaborations (ex. area Food Banks coordinating). GoToMeeting is also offering their remote work tools free for three months. Zoom has a free option, just get ready for that 40 minute meeting cut-off. If you are like me and have to worry about the occasional baby cry or kiddo interrupting your call (we’ve all seen the video), I personally have gotten creative by adapting a little video conferencing space in my closet and when necessary taking calls in my car in the driveway.

To my farming friends, you are not alone and there are entire networks of food system leaders working hard to come up with solutions, including the National Good Food Network who dedicated an entire session to this process at their conference last week and have already created a COVID-19 Response Team listserv and working document. The National Young Farmers Coalition also has an array of resources to stay connected and in touch, including a survey to find out what your needs are. If the thought of another tough season has you feeling completely overwhelmed, there are farmer crisis hotlines available including Farm Aid at 1-800-FARM-AID (1-800-327-6243), the RAFI-USA hotline 919-542-1396 and press #1 for the Farmer Crisis Hotline or toll-free at 866-586-6746 or the suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 (online chat also available).

If you are in need of financial support, I encourage you to look at the funds available through SBA mentioned above– if you need it, here is specific language that clarifies that farms ARE included in the EIDL program (which is NEW and has not made its way to the actual SBA offices yet) as well as the Paycheck Protection Program as described here by CFSA. Even if you are unsure of your status, it is recommended that you go ahead and gather the necessary documents so you can apply as soon as your able, as funds are first come, first serve. Also check out this incredibly robust list from ATTRA: https://attra.ncat.org/covid/#assistance including a new fund from American Farmland Trust- Farmer Relief Fund

Farmers can also find general disaster resources here and many state farm organizations, such as the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (NC and SC) and The Food Well Alliance (ATL) have pulled together additional resources. As we all know, the spring season is often the most profitable for farmers selling direct to consumer and with market closures and the downturn in the economy, now is not the time to have an abundance of supply and no way to connect with the demand.

The most comprehensive and proactive measures I have seen are those taken by 4PFoods in Virginia, as outlined in the following case statement as well as this robust trading and connections spreadsheet created by Farm to Institution New England (FINE). The overall message: We have to quickly shift the flow in our supply chain by directing food traditionally sold into farmers markets and restaurants and instead focus on selling to customers using home delivery services, redistributing to food banks and school feeding programs. This process includes leveraging the schools buses not currently in operation, cold storage that is currently empty, food service workers without jobs, and above all- gaining financial investments from the public and private sector to implement these strategies.

So what can farmers do in the immediate future? Here are some ideas:

• Is there a shelter in place order in your city, county, or state? Make sure you are reaching out to your Department of Agriculture for support in providing proof of your essential status. For example, the SC Commissioner of Agriculture, Hugh Weathers, has drafted a Notice of Essential Food and Agriculture Employee form that farms in these areas may fill out for each employee certifying them as an essential employee.  They should keep this letter with them while commuting to and from work.  Commissioner Weathers also sent this letter to the law enforcement community in regards to his notice.
• Make sure you have contact information for your customers so you can communicate with them, keep them informed on social media, and outline what steps you are taking to protect your products and workers (washable containers, gloves, masks, social distancing, general food safety practices). If you are a U-pick operation, there are even resources to build your own wash station.
• Reach out to your local food hub to see if they have the capacity to buy your product or if they are aware of any processors able to process, dehydrate, and/or freeze as well as provide storage.
• Connect with home CSA Delivery Farms and CSA/Box Services to see if they are able to buy and sell your products.
• Create your own pre-packed boxes for customers and develop curbside pick-up or delivery. There are a variety of softwares out there Local Food Marketplace, Farmigo, Barn2Door, CSA Member Assembler, CSAware, HarvestHand, The CSA Toolbox and soooo many more. You can also check out the recorded webinar from Oregon Tilth on this topic for resources and support.
• Consider making value added products with pre-approved recipes (remember, you will have to go through proper channels in your state to meet the processing requirements- examples resources from CA and NC) and/or working with companies that can do this for you. You may even know of chefs in your area that would like to partner on products that they can use in their kitchens when business picks back up.
• Market the fact that there are great health and immunity benefits of fresh fruits and veggies (ex. high vitamin C in berries and broccoli) as well as sharing recipes for immune boosters like fire cider.
• Encouraging customers to buy and bulk and freeze in case of quarantine.
• Sell gift cards that customers can cash in later on in the year.
• Reach out to your local food bank to see if they have the capacity or resources to purchase product. If you simply are not able to harvest, you can also see if they have any groups interested in gleaning.
• For the farmers markets that have remained open, here is a good example of how a market in NC is making an effort to reduce exposure. Also see below on the campaign for #farmersmarketsaregrocerystores
• If you are operating a market, check out this awesome example drive through order form from the East End Farmers Market in KY.
• Check out this great post from RAFI-USA on alternative sales options for direct to market farmers.

Advocating for support

Beyond keeping the operations running, we will all have a role to play in advocating for policies and relief packages that take the broader food system as well as nonprofits into consideration. Much of the work will need to be done at a state and regional level, just as the folks at 4PFoods. It has been indicated that agriculture is considered “Critical Infrastructure” but there are a lot of questions about where activities around food access and farmers markets will fall in these definitions.

There is currently a campaign from the National Young Farmers Coalition to urge members of congress to include farmers in their relief packages and you can also sign up for action alerts or also use this form from American Farmland Trust.

Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and allied organizations have assembled an advocacy toolkit to help communities fight to keep their markets open, and to re-open markets that have been wrongly closed.

“The toolkit includes a link to COVID-19 Operational Guidelines and Tips for Farmers Markets, which provides information on social distancing and sanitation practices that should be implemented at markets to maintain public health. It also includes resources to use when convincing local authorities to allow markets to continue and advocacy strategies to generate public support for the issue in your community. Please share these resources with the hashtag #farmersmarketsaregrocerystores.“

The team at Local Progress has pulled together a number of recommendations and actions highlighting the need for advocacy around equity during this time.

At the end of the day, we all have the opportunity to support our local farmers and reach out to nonprofits in our community to find opportunities to help, even from the safety of our homes. I hope we can use this time to cherish those we love, spend more time outdoors connecting with nature, and leverage this as a catalyst towards building a more resilient local food system.

These are a few tips to help you prepare for hurricane season. More detailed information can be found on the NOAA Hurricane Preparedness website including being able to “Assess your risks and know your home’s vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind. Understand National Weather Service forecast products and especially the meaning of NWS watches and warnings.” They also have a great list to help you put together a basic disaster supplies kit. For anyone in the Southeast, you can follow Mike’s Weather Page on Facebook for regular updates and info on storms.

For those in South Carolina, there are a number of great resources available. For flooding issues in general, I follow the SC Flood Information Exchange. If you are in the Charleston area, I also follow Rob Fowler on FB and you can also sign up for Charleston County Citizen’s Alert if you want current updates as well as find details about the highway reversals here. For information on evacuations and other alerts, there is now also an app from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division you can download at the Apple App Store or from Google Play. Or you can download the South Carolina 511 App for similar information.

Check out your own area on the NOAA map. 

“The truth is over the years you realize that the work never goes away. You do your best and at the end of the day you try to find satisfaction with what you accomplished”, reflects Mark Cain on the demands of farm life. After 33 years invested in Dripping Springs Garden, Mark Cain and his partner Michael Crane understand the reality of working sunup to sundown to realize their farm dream, a process that literally started from the ground up. Unlike the more traditional intergenerational farm transition, Dripping Springs Garden represents an increasingly more common farm narrative: the first generation farm. These are farms started by individuals with no family land, no hands-on childhood experience, and no predetermined operation to take-over. Every decade, the number of these first generation farmers grows and in recent years has reached a tipping point that demands a new model for supporting new and beginning farmers. As this new breed of farmer enters the market, they are seeking opportunities to gain hands-on experience from the ground-up, they need alternative land access models, and most importantly, seek mentors that understand their perspective. Enter Mark Cain, the farmer with a degree in ecology with a passion for the outdoors that fell in love with the potential for organic farming to help heal the land, heal himself, and heal his community. Without family land or formal training, Cain’s story is similar to so many new farmers striking out on their own to gain the knowledge, skills, and experience to pursue the dream of owning a farm. Over the last several decades he and his partner have taken an idea and transformed it into a successful business in the Ozark mountains of northwest Arkansas, all the while helping guide others on the path to realizing the farm dream. “They’re like farmer shamans, guiding others into community-based organic agriculture in our part of the world” says long-time friend Keith Richards.

So what steps did this successful operation take to get where it is today? To start, they studied at the feet of other masters of industry and have continued to adapt, grow, and hone their craft over the years. Their land was selected because it was a beautiful, isolated space surrounded by nature, not because it was previously a working farm, so they understand the challenges of building a operation from the ground up. They have developed their business with intention, choosing to invest in time and planning to maximize each acre to ensure a diverse range of crops can be grown and harvested year round for market. While others may have increased acreage or markets, Mark chose to instead diversify crops, refine production techniques, add high tunnels, and focus on developing a successful internship program. All of these elements are components farms across the region can adopt, adapt, and utilize to grow their operation.

Yet the most compelling aspect of Dripping Springs Garden is not the cultivation but rather the culture, one that is focused on not only surviving but thriving. Mark embraces regenerative agriculture, a reflection of his deeper belief that the farming can be restorative instead of extractive to both the environment and the community. Mark has seen first hand how despite farming’s potential for positive, the one resource that suffers the most in the industry are the people. The demands of farming require a unique combination of both physical endurance and mental resolve but many entering the industry push too hard, too soon, for too long, often resulting in injury, breakdown, or burn-out. For the team at Dripping Springs Garden, it is about finding the balance of passion, hard work, and honoring yourself. Cain achieves this balance by operating the farm on a Mediterranean schedule allowing for mid-day siesta for yoga, meditation and relaxation during the warmest hours of the day. Mark is actually a certified yoga teacher and provides interns with the opportunity to join him in practice. The daily break provides “a golden opportunity to let go of everything for a little while to restore the body and mind” according to Cain. Dripping Springs Garden also provides time for family meals, with Mark and Michael cooking, eating, and socializing with their 4-6 interns to enjoy the fruits of their labor and socialize in a non-work setting. While the schedule and activities provide a more balanced work day, Mark also credits them with keeping him from experiencing the exhaustion many at his stage in the business often feel. Mark notes, “I have other things that I find value in, especially those that allow me to be creative. People have to find those unique outlets they can integrate into their operation.” He also stresses the importance of having young farmers working alongside them, not only as an investment in the future of farming but also as a way to reconnect with the joy of farming through the eyes of the interns (a view you can share from the farm’s instagram feed, run by the interns).

With all of the incredible experience and success, it is enough inflate anyone’s ego but I can assure you these are still two humble farmers interested to helping others by sharing their journey. Mark admits he has “made a million mistakes and tried to learn from a few” but still has a passion for farming because according to him, they have balanced farming with creative outlets and are surrounded with aspiring farmers still in awe of the daily farm life. He knows that many people look at his model, his schedule, and his approach and will say “I don’t have time” but believes if he does not take care of himself and his employees, the operation will not be the regenerative system he is striving for. Cain’s zen approach to farming is something we can all take to heart, “We have to feel good about what is happening right now. Not what could be. It is not about waiting for something to give you peace but finding it in the moment.”

Mark is looking forward to sharing more about his unique journey in January 2018 at the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference in Chattanooga, TN where he will kick off the conference in his plenary session with an exploration of where he began and the lessons he has learned along the way. We hope you will be joining us to learn from Mark and the other 90 speakers during the 56 educational sessions, short courses, field trips, and networking events. Register today to take advantage of Early Bird rates! Living on a tight budget? Check out our fee waivers.

Post originally appeared on the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Blog: http://www.ssawg.org/ssawg-blawg/2017/10/25/finding-peace-in-the-chaos-of-farming 

Header Image: Mark Cain (right) and Michael Crane gather flowers to sell at nearby farmers market. Photograph by Beth Hall, Northwest Arkansas Times.

The sound of fireworks has always brought with it a sense of nostalgia for the summer nights of youth filled with the excitement of staying up late followed by the booming explosions that echoed in your chest and lit up the sky. I find it incredibly fitting the 4th of July is a celebration of the Declaration of Independence because it was this time last year that I, too, declared my independence.

One year ago today, I struck out on my own as a business owner with the launch of Wit Meets Grit. I hit the ground running with three clients and have been going full steam ever since. Just to keep things interesting, my husband, Dan, and I bought a house at the same time, making the experiences of entrepreneurship and homeownership deeply intertwined. Both have given me an incredible sense of accomplishment and freedom I was completely unaware I had been missing. Admittedly (and not surprisingly) my work and family have been my primary focus (sorry garden).

Despite spending 5 years supporting, advising, and advocating for business owners, there is nothing quite like swimming in the water to make you appreciate the joys and dangers of the experience. While there have been challenges, none have been insurmountable or daunting. My biggest obstacle? Figuring out how to explain what I do for a living. Having spent so many years with clearly defined jobs, it has been difficult to put into words the depth and breadth of the services I am providing. When you grow-up with a modern renaissance man for a father, it is hard to see the point in narrowing down your interests or skills when there is so much pleasure to be found in new experiences and projects.

Upon reflection, I realized that in the end my passion is people. How they communicate, organize, collaborate, build their programs, run their organizations, manage their systems, make decisions, achieve results, and evaluate their success. Paired with an expertise in the areas of sustainability, environmental studies, and food systems (agriculture, land-use, distribution, marketing, and consumption), I am able to support the people and organizations working in these industries. And of course if you want to talk about green building, affordable housing, gardening, public health or transportation, those are areas of interest as well (hence the aforementioned depth and breadth).

In the last twelve months I have had the pleasure of working with ten different clients on a wide range of projects from meeting facilitation and coalition building to organizational development and landscape assessment. My clients range from small non-profits and businesses to large national organizations. Although the majority of my clients fall into the “food system” category, I have also had the opportunity to work with folks on areas of organizational management and the broader area of sustainability.

Beyond the work under the umbrella of Wit Meets Grit, I am also an adjunct faculty at the College of Charleston, co-teaching Introduction to Environmental Studies with a “hard-science” partner and just wrapped up co-teaching the Gaiananda Herbal Apprenticeship with SC Herbal Society. Outside of work, I am also heavily involved in community giving through volunteer work on several boards but that is a whole other post for another day.

A goal for the next year is to schedule more time to actually update the world on the fun I am having at work (and at home) to provide a peek into this fascinating world I find myself in. In my own defense for the serious lack of blog posts and updates, I just wrapped up a 6 month project that included over 25 interviews, data collection, and mapping on four states that resulted in a 60 page report (with citations) aka soooo much writing.

What is the most important take-away at this point? It has been a great year and I am so thankful for the support of friends and family as well as my stellar clients. To illustrate the awesomeness that is self-employment, I created a fun infographic.

Whoa. Just whoa. It has been a little over a month since I took the giant leap that was leaving my job of five years to start my own company. Despite giving myself three months to prepare for this incredible life shift, I am still getting my head around such a dramatic change. It probably has something to do with the fact that my husband and I also bought a house and moved the last week of my job, but hey, I wanted to go big AND go home. Although I love to be in control, I am also not one to shy away from change. After talking with so many of my incredible friends and mentors, I knew that I had what it takes to go out on my own. The idea of such a big new adventure called to me like a siren of wanderlust so many of us temper.

Compared to most people, many of my jobs have given me incredible opportunities to indulge in unique and interesting experiences on a regular basis. But the position you are in when you start with an organization and the one you find yourself in years later are often in stark contrast. I repeatedly found myself getting to the top of the ladder at organizations, looking down at the trenches, and missing the feeling of the soil between my toes. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good spreadsheet and creative writing is a passion, but my spirit is replenished in moments of real connection. Working with other industrious people, solving complex problems, building things, overcoming challenges, sharing ideas, and traveling to new places. All of this brings me to the present, which has been a hilariously fast crash course on life on the other side of the fence where people work for themselves.

As someone who has worked with hundreds of small business owners, I knew the grass would not be greener, but damn I did not realize how much I would still have to mow the lawn. 

I was prepared for hard work and the initial adjustment that comes with growing anything new but I somehow imagined it would still involve more yoga and naps. Needless to say, I don’t even know where my yoga mat is- probably somewhere in a box I have yet to unpack. I also have not even gotten around to ordering business cards, attending networking events, or posting on my blog (as evident here). Let me assure you, these are good signs because it means that I am busy. Despite many people assuming if my husband was “supporting me during my time-off” I can assure you that a.) I am not on vacation and b.) we are still very much a two income household. Thankfully, I have several clients that were excited to bring me onto their team. In the last few weeks, I have conducted program evaluations, written grants, helped create marketing materials, and provided general program support. I am already learning from mistakes that come with starting a new business but it feels good to know that these are lessons that will allow to me grow with confidence as a business owner. Outside of consulting, I have also had the pleasure of working with my talented friends to help as a second shooter at a wedding and with a garden installation. In coming months I will also be freelance writing and guest speaking at conferences. The work is interesting, challenging, and dynamic and I was able to decide what projects I said yes to and when I chose to tackle them.

Perhaps most importantly, my time is my own.

 In between work tasks I dig around in my garden barefoot, roll around with the dogs, take nature pictures, cook meals, and spend as many moments as possible with my fantastic husband. I work when I know I will be at my best and take time for rejuvenation when I am not. I may not be doing yoga every morning and making my lotion from scratch but I already feel an incredible sense of liberation from this transition. While I love my clients… their missions, budgets, programs, and employees can stay safely tucked away when my computer is shut down. I am learning how to slow down.

As it has been for the last ten years, my life will no longer be built around my job but instead my job will be built around my life.

My head and heart are open and ready for new ideas, direction, and opportunity. The next few months are a wonderful blend of contract work and visits with loved ones. I hope to schedule enough clients in 2017 to continue this journey on my own. But even if working for myself does not work out, I know that in the best possible way, this change in perspective cannot be undone. Sometimes it takes the visceral experience of looking into the unknown and taking a leap to really make a permanent change in our lives. The beautiful part of this process is that I know I am not alone and for that, I am most thankful.