monthly news from ASAP    |   APRIL 2020    |    asapconnections.org

Support the Appalachian Grown Farmer Relief Fund
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We can’t afford to lose our farms.
 

A new report from ASAP's Local Food Research Center : [link removed] examines short- and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and finds that the closure of restaurants and disruption of farmers markets is having an immediate and potentially devastating impact on local farmers. Eighty percent of farmers responding to a survey reported an immediate decrease in customers and sales. Two thirds reported that, if disruptions persist for several months, the long-term financial hardship would be severe enough to result in bankruptcy, business closure, and leaving the industry.


In response to this unprecedented impact, ASAP established the Appalachian Grown Farmer Relief Fund : [link removed] to strategically address emergency needs in the farming community. Donations will help to fund the grants listed below as well as to purchase unsold food for donation to hunger programs.
 

Please donate today : [link removed] to support our farms.



Appalachian Grown Farmer Immediate Needs Grants
The Appalachian Grown Farmer Immediate Needs Grant : [link removed] is intended for farmers with lost sales and farm income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers may apply for up to $500 to make strategic investments in meeting new market requirements, such as new technology, packaging materials, communications, or other modest investments that will allow the farm to quickly respond to the changing market environment. Priority will be given to farmers who 1) face a significant loss or disruption of market outlets due to COVID-19, 2) depend on the farm business for more than 50 percent of their household income, and 3) plan to use funds to help shift their farm business to new models or adjust to new market requirements.

 
Additional resources for farmers:
Free social media series for farmers. : [link removed] Learn to leverage social media as a tool for connecting with customers in the face of the stay home, stay safe order. Email [email protected] : mailto:[email protected] to RSVP for the live webinars (April 27 and May 4). Webinars be posted online afterwards.Find a list of grants and loans : [link removed] available for farmers in the region. 
Update your Local Food Guide listing : [link removed] to let customers know if you offer online ordering, delivery, or COVID-19 pickup options.



Farmers Markets COVID-19 Response Grant
Through ASAP's Farmers Market COVID-19 Response Grant : [link removed], Appalachian Grown markets can apply for up to $200 to improve public health procedures at market, including help procuring new signage, caution tape, hand washing stations and sanitizer, masks, and packaging materials and labels for farm products. Applications are approved on a rolling basis and are available until funds run out.
 

Additional resources for farmers market managers: 
Use this COVID-19 best practice checklist : [link removed] to form its response plan. Update your Local Food Guide listing : [link removed] to let customers know about any changes to your market’s opening date, hours, location, etc.



New Search Functions for the Online Local Food Guide
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We've added new search functions to the online Local Food Guide : [link removed], so you can now use it to find farms offering online ordering, delivery, and COVID-19 pickup options, in addition to existing search options for CSAs, farm stands, and much more.
 

Does your farm offer online ordering or delivery? Update your listing! : [link removed] School...at Home
: [link removed]'s Growing Minds Farm to School Program is offering a weekly resource, Growing Minds Day by Day : [link removed], for parents, educators, and caregivers navigating homeschooling or distance learning. Each week, the Growing Minds team selects a theme related to food, gardens, or nature, and shares recommendations for children’s literature, activities, recipes, and online resources. Growing Minds Day by Day is posted on Thursdays—watch social media for each week's theme! 
Week of March 30: Mud and Soil : [link removed] of April 6: Bees and Pollinators : [link removed] of April 13: Starting a Garden : [link removed] of April 20: Earth Day : [link removed] Staff Member Gwen Hill
: [link removed] Gwen Hill : [link removed], our new Growing Minds Program Coordinator. Her first day working for ASAP was March 16, the first day we started working from home. While this is one of the stranger ways to start a new job, we're excited about the contributions she's already making. Welcome, Gwen!



FACES OF LOCAL
 Quinn Asteak and Leslie Logemann

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ASAP likes to share the stories of people who help us fulfill our mission. This month we're talking to two farmers market managers (among many in the region) who have worked hard to keep markets safe and operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quinn Asteak, left, is executive director of West Asheville Tailgate Market : [link removed] and Leslie Logemann, right, is market manager at Transylvania Farmers' Market : [link removed] in Brevard.
 

What have been some of the biggest changes in the way your markets works?


LL: Saturday, April 18th, was the sixth week our market has had measures in place and it looks like it may continue for some time. We are currently operating with food and agriculture vendors only. We’ve reconfigured to have just two entrances/exits and customers are asked to travel the market clockwise as they shop with a single row of spaced vendors. We have a hand washing area and sanitizing stations throughout the market. Our vendors and staff are masked and wearing gloves, and customers are asked not to touch any products. Many of our vendors have moved to contact-less transactions. We’ve also added curbside shopping where customers can pull up and pick up prepaid orders or have a market employee shop for them. 


QA: We're so grateful for all the markets who helped guide the way during this transition. The biggest change is that we have about one-third the number of vendors. This puts us in a very challenging place financially. It also means we have to do the gut-wrenching job of telling many vendors they can't come every week. Other big changes are the transition to no-touch payment systems, the new layout with only one entrance/exit, and the need to track capacity. The hardest change is probably not being able to hug friends.


Why is shopping at farmers markets important, especially now?


LL: Simply, farmers markets are essential. Fresh local food that supports local farmers and businesses couldn't be more important right now. 


QA: I see two main reasons—economic and physical health. All of the individual businesses at the market support families and employ folks in the community. This is yet another opportunity for people to vote with their dollars. Who needs financial help more? Big box stores or your local farmers? The other reason is personal health. My food has a huge impact on the way I feel and I know that's true for most people. Eating fresh, organic food is so important for physical and mental health, which we're all thinking about right now. 


What is the mood around market these days? Are customers and vendors apprehensive? Happy to be outside? Grateful for some interaction even if at a distance?


LL: There is definitely apprehension and anxiety as we navigate these unprecedented times. I think we're all learning to take this one day at a time, one week at a time, and tackle challenges as they arise. As a control freak, I am definitely learning some life lessons, haha. But jokes aside, I've also seen so much beauty and support during this time. Customers supporting vendors by not only purchasing but by offering kind words, encouragement, written notes, and even donations. Vendors watching out for each other and vendors who are offering free delivery to make sure customers have what they need if they don't feel comfortable leaving the house. For the customers who come to market, we are getting a lot of comments about everyone being happy to be outside and we are also hearing a lot of thank yous. Those keep us going.


QA: The first week everyone was a bit apprehensive. We weren't sure if people would show up and had no way of knowing if people had really read the long list of new safety guidelines. But about 30 minutes into the first market it was clear that everything was going to be okay. We got some weird pushback on the internet from folks who probably didn't realize all that we put into making the market one of the safest places to shop. But the feedback from customers and vendors who were there was unanimously positive. Everyone was happy to see each other (even if you couldn't see all the smiles under the masks) and felt incredibly safe knowing we were outside, with ample social distancing measures in place, and an abundance of hand sanitizer. It's also comforting to know that only one person (the vendor) has touched your food before you. It feels really important to connect with the community and personally thank essential workers—farmers being absolutely essential, always.


What do you think farmers markets need most right now to stay safe and successful?


LL: Support, compassion, compliance, and patience. Some of our vendors aren't as tech-savvy as others so they may not have as many options for accepting payment. Some vendors have family members with compromised immune systems so they may be away from market right now. Some vendors are selling out quickly. It's a challenging time. We hope customers will be patient with us while we figure this all out. 

QA: Supportive customers. At the end of the day a simple "thank you" really goes a long way. I know it's a bit confusing that all the markets have slightly different rules right now, but it's so helpful when customers take the time to read the guidelines and show up prepared. Some things folks can do include: Come wearing a mask, have the PayPal and/or Venmo app downloaded on your phone, and make sure to use the singular entrance/exit. If you have the funds, you might consider overpaying a vendor or donating to a market you love. Donating directly to a market like ours helps the bottom line and means we can hold off on raising vendor fees.
 

Find information about which markets are open now at asapconnections.org : [link removed].

PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT
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Our April photo of the month comes from Meghan Bosley of Mountain Food Products : [link removed]. Ramps (sustainably harvested, of course) are a seasonal treat many of us are pining for, especially as we stay inside. Use ASAP's Local Food Guide : [link removed] to search for farms with ramps (or other things) and connect directly with farmers to ask how you can get their products. Many offer pickup options, delivery, or farm stands.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

ASAP in the News
Stories on the pandemic's impact on farmers in the region, as well as the report from ASAP's Local Food Research Center and the Appalachian Grown Farmer Relief Fund, have been covered widely, including by Asheville Citizen-Times : [link removed], Carolina Public Press : [link removed], Asheville FM : [link removed], WLOS : [link removed], and Smoky Mountain News : [link removed]. 
 

 

The ASAP Farmers Market at A-B Tech was featured by BPR News : [link removed], The Asheville Citizen-Times : [link removed], the Mountain Xpress : [link removed], WLOS : [link removed], and Smoky Mountain News : [link removed]. Sow the Land's Jason Contreras visited the market and vlogged his experience on YouTube : [link removed].



ASAP on the Air
: [link removed]’s Growing Local audio series runs on WNCW : [link removed] on Monday mornings during Morning Edition at 8:45 a.m. Here are a few recent episodes:
 
Relief Fund Supports Farmers Facing Unprecedented Challenges : [link removed] to Keep Kids Engaged During COVID : [link removed] Lee’s One Fortune Farm is Adapting to COVID-19 : [link removed] Farmers Market Protects Public Health : [link removed] can listen to all Growing Local episodes on SoundCloud : [link removed], iTunes : [link removed], or on ASAP's website : [link removed].



CONNECT WITH US
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asapconnections.org : [link removed] | growing-minds.org : [link removed]
appalachiangrown.org : [link removed] | fromhere.org : [link removed]
 
Donate to support local food, strong farms, and healthy communities today! : [link removed]
 
ASAP's mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food.



ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) - 306 W. Haywood Street - Asheville - NC - 28801

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