Dear John,

As you may have heard, today is Giving Tuesday Now – a special repeat of the annual day of giving that takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Farm Aid is proud to participate in this day of global giving in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just like healthcare workers, family farmers and ranchers are essential and they need our support at this challenging time. If you're able to make a small donation now – or recently have – we thank you. A gift in any amount helps Farm Aid provide immediate assistance to farmers who need support.

This #GivingTuesdayNow, please join us in recognizing all those who work each and every day to help sustain our families. Family farmers continue to be there for us, and we thank you for being there for them – in any way that you can. 

COVID-19 has completely upended our food system and the functioning of our supply chain. That has resulted in devastating instances of food waste. To be 100% clear, no farmer wants to dump their milk or plow under their crops.

Farms that normally sell in large volumes to restaurants and other now-closed institutions are not set up to meet the needs of individual consumers. Making that switch is complicated, but farmers are coming up with some creative solutions. Read on to learn about the challenges COVID-19 creates in the food system and the solutions to avoid food waste.

During this pandemic, local and regional food systems have shown extreme resilience. Many farmers have adapted quickly to keep food growing and reaching our plates. While huge livestock processing facilities may be shutting down because their workers cannot be properly protected due to the way these systems are set up, small scale local processing can occur safely. Diversified produce farmers who offer CSAs are seeing their shares sell out. Farmers that can deliver their product locally are experiencing huge demand. These farmers are also speaking up about the inequities in our food system and figuring out how to feed communities that struggle with access to food.