| Hey farm friends, The last three weeks have been a whirlwind. It feels like ages ago when things were normal. On Friday morning of Helene, I was trying to calmly play a board game with my children in our basement as they took turns looking out the window, yelling- “there goes another one!” as the trees came down one by one and water rushed by the house. Here we are, three weeks later, and so much has happened. I know my neighbors so much better. We came together and continue to help one another as we navigate each day. Strangers and friends have showed up with strong hands and willing hearts (and sometimes chainsaws and a tractor!) to help us get back on our feet on the farm. We are so lucky. Some farmers have lost everything- their crops, their buildings, their soil. My heart breaks for all of the losses in our community. The hardest loss on the farm was our soil. Structures can be rebuilt quickly, but soil takes years to build. In some places, the topsoil is completely gone, washed down 1-2 feet, leaving rock-hard clay. This cannot be replaced. Our cover crops and vegetables were trying to hold on tight to that soil that we have worked so hard to build for the last 8 years, but a river of water formed coming down the mountain and picked it right up. We have been shoveling precious topsoil out of the ditches between our high tunnels and fence lines to try to move it back to where it came from. Every little bit helps! We hope to bring in some certified organic compost from a reliable source in the Piedmont to help rebuild areas of the field with the biggest losses. |
| On a completely different note, I traveled to Washington, DC last week for a Farmer/Rancher event at the White House. I was invited through the Farm Services Agency and planned to go with the whole family as it coincided with some teacher workdays for our children. After Helene, it felt impossible to think about leaving when so much needed to be done. However, I felt like it was even more important to show up and raise awareness about the needs in our area. It was surreal to go from hauling water and rebuilding fences in Black Mountain to the intensity of our nation’s capital. In the days before the event as I traveled to DC, I collected some stories and needs of farmers in the area to try to get a better idea of what to share and how to explain the effect of Helene on farms, especially small farms in western NC. Most farms in western NC are small or microfarms, and do not always qualify for the traditional crop insurance programs provided as a safety net from the USDA. |
| At the White House, we gathered with 60-80 farmers from around the country to hear from and speak with White House and USDA officials about existing programs and possibilities for the future to strengthen agriculture in our country. I wanted to be a voice for small and microfarms as they are usually situated right in the communities they feed and are more poised to pivot to provide food security during times of crisis like COVID or natural disasters. I was encouraged to learn more about many different programs that the USDA is implementing to strengthen our local food system. It was emotional to share what has happened to farms in our region. I spoke up for small farms and made contacts with some wonderful folks who are working hard to do good work for farms in our country. I plan to continue to advocate for small farms in rural and urban areas through those contacts. This is not a time to put band-aids on problems, but to think deeply and creatively about long term solutions that can bolster farms and rural communities to be stronger and more resilient. May we work together to make our communities better! We can’t wait to see you at the market on Saturday. Unfortunately, we are not able to run the online store as we don’t have reliable internet. But, we will have lots of greens, lettuces, winter squash, peppers, and our last tomatoes of the season. Please come out and show support for our local vendors in our sweet community. |
