FEATURE STORY

THE IMPACT ON LOCAL FARMING by: R.D. Gibson

This pandemic is something. Full-stop. Period. However, you want to put an emphasis on it. There are probably several different punctuation marks that can be used, as well. There are so many ways that can demonstrate how a lot of things in our normal lives have been uprooted. We do not need to go through the litany of COVID-inspired changes because they seemingly change every few hours.

However, we can’t stray away from the fact that COVID has changed the way we look at food security and the growth and further development of local food production. Guampedia.com has an article detailing the agricultural practices of the ancient CHamorus. In it, Darlene Moore wrote very matter-of-factly, “food collecting is one of the most important activities in order for a population to survive.” The ancient CHamorus found food either from the ocean or in their backyards - coconut, breadfruit, taro, fish, whatever they could find in the lagoons, and, even, rice.

Several decades ago, CHamorus had ranches where crops were grown and livestock raised to feed families. Now, it’s a nightly drive or weekend trip to the grocery store to grab food for the week. Yet, a lot of food is still heavily imported. According to the Port Authority of Guam’s website, the agency ‘handles more than 90-percent of the island’s total imports’ - 60-some percent of which comes from the United States.

But, swing forward to our current situation with food distribution lines, local produce specials on social media, and examining the needs of a market looking to have as little contact as possible with COVID. It seems there is a market for fresh, local produce that doesn’t shift through too many hands, and gets right to the dinner table.

For local farmer, Jeremy Bevacqua, he points to a handful of key issues that affect the farming industry in Guam. Competition with imported goods, cost of land, water, resources, and labor, pests and weather issues, and little government support. Bevacqua stated that the island has adapted to the ‘import heavy model’ since World War II, “and we are dependent on the ships to come to feed our population.” Further, he cited that along with 90-percent of our goods being imported, we also see a lot of invasive species that ‘farmers are in the frontlines in fighting them off.”

More though, Bevacqua talked about little support from the government, which he said has only helped a few people start farms on lands through entities like the Chamorro Land Trust Committee. “Farming today is the least profitable job in the world, but it is one of the most important in society.” He pointed to the United States where many farms are subsidized, not like in Guam. Bevacqua spoke about the impact COVID has had on farmers. He stated how farmers have had to adapt in selling their produce to third parties or worked on social media to work with clients. He added how in the beginning of the lockdown, farmers had a lot of produce, but nobody to buy them. This produce ended up with the Farmers Co-Op and GU Sustainable and doing Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes. “Farm to Table has been doing their CSA Program for years, a model that they adapted from Agriculture communities in the States,” Bevacqua stated.

“Farming is important,” stated Cassie Brady of Farm to Table Guam Corp. “Oftentimes it gets overlooked; where your food actually comes from, not just a grocery store.” Farm to Table Guam Corp is a non-profit organization, which provides a comprehensive look at produce farming on island. This includes recipes, educational opportunities, applying to their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, and a wealth of knowledge about, well, farming.

Through their CSA program, residents are connected directly with the people who grow their food. On the CSA Application page, it describes a simple system geared toward having consumers know exactly where their food is coming from, how their food is grown, being educated on the seasonal produce being sold, and eating healthier. “Farmers can expect increased income and profitability, decreased waste, and ultimately more jobs in the way of expanding existing farms or new growers entering the market,” it states on their website.

According to Brady, “The demand for local produce among families has increased.” Brady cited several reasons from customers as to why they’re looking toward more local produce, including avoiding large supermarkets; others are looking to ‘build their immunity and eat healthier’; and people avoiding shortage of produce at stores typically buy locally. She added, “which in hindsight is a great opportunity for our community to understand the importance of food security and supporting the local farmers, which we continue to see a rise in.”

For Bevacqua, the community is being more conscientious about healthy eating choices. He cited how COVID-19 is ‘amplified by bodies with bad health’. According to the Centers for Disease Control website, obesity “increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.” Because people are more concerned about what they’re eating, he stated farmers haven’t had much of a problem selling straight to customers.

However, farming also took a hit because of the pandemic. Brady stated that the pandemic created the obstacle

of changing markets to get produce to the public. Brady added how hotels and distributors were the main buyers of local produce on island. “Since Covid, they have had to adapt to other market channels, such as smaller orders to restaurants, roadside stands, farmers markets, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and curbside farms.”

Great ideas come with a price and figurative hoops to jump through. Some pre-conceived notions about the farming industry, according to Brady, are “that growing plants is easy”. She commented on the science behind it: “soil health, planting techniques, microbes and conversions,” and how dealing with the earth can bring about other challenges. Wind and rain, plant diseases, equipment failure, and pests are some of the reasons why farmers might not have anything to sell.

Looking toward the future of the industry requires people to have some semblance of hope for it. It’s not toxic positivity, but an outlook that goes beyond the notion of “we’ll get through this together.” Brady started that notwithstanding the pandemic, “what we do expect is for more of the community to grow their own food.” It is a move toward being more sustainable ‘and less reliant on imports.’ She pointed to how people have spent time ‘hobby gardening’ during the pandemic, and how it might be the catalyst to get people to try out a small garden - potentially a business, even.

Bevacqua added to Brady’s sentiments regarding home gardening. “While this may sound like a bad thing for farmers, it’s actually a good thing,” started Bevacqua. “Growing your own produce gives an appreciation to having fresh produce around,” he stated. This goes in line with buying more local produce, he added. He continued that sometimes it’s a package deal with produce, plants, and seeds, which allows for home gardeners to make new additions in their own gardens.

Bevacqua pointed to the history of the profession on the island. “Farming is a huge part of Chamorro and Guam history,” he stated. Far from the ‘slash-and-burn’ techniques, Moore discussed in her essay, more and more people are looking at ways to grow their gardens, start their own business producing local goods, or even just supporting farmers. “Supporting local farmers is super important,” began Bevacqua. “This encourages them to continue as they are more or less a small business.” He continued by pointing to wasted fruit - that ‘happens every year’, which can be dried, or dehydrated. It is only just an example of the opportunities Bevacqua says there are in an industry rooted in our island’s history. But, it’s a start. Brady added, “Everyone relies on farmers,” and stated the need to encourage more people to get into the industry for sustainability. “Hopefully more people are becoming aware of this during times where shipments are delayed or there is a shortage of imported produce.” She emphasized just getting into it - “Start getting your hands dirty, and see what happens!” Like most things starting out, there are bound to be a few hiccups, but Brady encourages to do research as the gardening projects start rolling along. “We don’t believe that people have a ‘brown thumb,’ just need more education.” She continued that the farming is all about making the mistakes and learning from them. “Perseverance is key.”

As a farmer himself, Bevacqua spoke about several pieces of advice for people interested in the industry. He talked about building relationships with the customer, having a variety of crops, but, more importantly, learning. He talked about working with and learning other farmers, researching grants and government programs, learning about the seasons and what crops thrive during the year. He emphasized, “grow what you like...this will be your livelihood, you need to love it.”

Whether it is an extension of a quarantine hobby, or a way to pad or start an income, give yourself the time to explore what farming is for you. It might not happen right away, but as Brady stated, it’s all about persevering. It may be October, but it’s never too late to start some goal setting for the new year, which will hopefully be a lot better than this one. Exclamation point.