Organic Production in the time of COVID-19 PCO Offers Support as Operations Navigate the "New Normal" Image: CDC
BY staceY Budd, PcO executive assistant
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very new calendar year begins with the planning and preparing for the upcoming growing season. By March, fieldwork has begun as the seedlings grow with warmer temperatures. This year was unlike any other as March put us in the midst of a global pandemic that had dramatic effects on our food supply chain. Initial panic left store shelves empty and people seeking a safer way to find food to nourish their families. Growers and producers were thrust into a new way of operating as the coronavirus began to spread across the country. As more and more states implemented shelter-in-place orders, market disruptions forced a re-examination of product distribution and fostered ingenuity in finding new ways to feed our communities. In Pennsylvania, agriculture and its technical services were declared essential, life-sustaining businesses, allowing farming practices and PCO operations to continue. However, in the early stages of the pandemic we all witnessed the hoarding of products and the scarcity of fresh goods. The virus had exposed the vulnerabilities of our existing supply chains. More consumers experienced an awakening to the value of their local food system as farm shares (often referred to as Community Supported Agriculture) began to rise all over the country. The direct-to-consumer model reminded our communities that area farmers/producers are a valuable resource in building resiliency in our food system. High demand forced farmers to act quickly to build new online shopping markets to feed communities while honoring safety through social distancing. As farmers were exploring new avenues to distribute product, Congress began working rapidly to draft a bill for emergency aid to those who had lost income as a result of the crisis. Through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, $9.5 billion in agricultural provisions for disaster relief were allocated to support producers impacted by COVID19. These payments were earmarked for specialty crop producers, livestock producers (including dairy), and producers who supply local food systems (farmers markets, restau-
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Organic Matters • suMMer 2020
rants and schools). While it is great that Congress recognized the importance of our food chain suppliers, there was speculation early on that this would not be enough to support the many operations who work long, hard hours to feed their communities. As such, the first round of stimulus support went quickly, leaving the small, diversified farm operations without access to funding. Back to the drawing board,
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS WHO STAND UP AND SUPPORT ORGANIC, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE ASKED FOR MORE AND PUSHED FOR A SECOND ROUND OF FUNDING THAT COMPENSATED ALL FARMERS FAIRLY congressional leaders who stand up and support organic, sustainable agriculture asked for more and pushed for a second round of funding that compensated all farmers fairly. On May 26, 2020, The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) began accepting applications for this additional $16 billion direct relief program. It has not been a perfect system. While this is being reported as the largest single payment in history to our nation’s farmers, CFAP has its shortcomings, especially for organic farmers. In order to receive funds, producers need to show a loss of 5% or greater in their commodity market or evidence of their supply chain disruption due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, the funding payment structure relies on prices calculated by the USDA versus the prices producers actually receive for their products — erasing the often-premium price for organic goods. In addition, not all commodities are eligible under this program. Though not equitable in pricing, the program may help you offset lost revenue. To apply for CFAP, farmers need to contact their local Farm Service Agency to begin the process. Applications are due by August 28th, but funding is only available on a firstcome, first-serve basis.
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