WEATHERI NG THE STO RM
Farming on the frontlines of climate disaster
“The Neighbors,” by Asheville, NC artist Kira Bursky, part of a series of drawings created in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Jehyra Asencio Yace with farm brigade workers (from left) Joaquín Álvarez, José Gonzalez, Damian Jimenez, Luis Alago, and Samuel Rivera.
Front Cover: Debris left from a mudslide is seen in a rural area in Cruso, North Carolina, after Tropical Storm Helene, October 16, 2024.
PHOTO BY ANGELA WILHELM
Back Cover: Fig leaves frame an old barn at Locklear Farms in Pembroke, NC.
PHOTO BY JOE PELLEGRINO
SCA N to share your thoughts about Living Roots and help shape the future of the magazine.
livingroots®
Executive Editors
Edna Rodriguez
Kavita Koppa
Managing Editor
Beth Andrachick Hauptle
Associate Editor
Kara Hoving
Editorial Team
Kelli Dale
Lisa Misch
Hope Ostane-Baucom
Justine Post
Photographer
Joe Pellegrino
Staff Contributors
David Allen
Zacha Muñiz
Hope Ostane-Baucom
Fello Pérez
Teiara Turner
Graphic Designer
Jessie Despard
RAFI is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and as such, donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. EIN #56-1704863. RAFI believes in transparency, ethical accounting, and donor stewardship. RAFI has earned the 2024 Platinum GuideStar Exchange Seal and the seventh consecutive 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.
© Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA (RAFI) Email: livingroots@rafiusa.org Web: rafiusa.org
Union Label MAGAZINE
Dear Living Roots Readers,
In times of uncertainty, we are reminded that farmers continue to plant, nurture, and harvest the food that sustains us all. Despite the challenges of climate change, uctuating markets, and now a federal freeze on funds owed to many, their perseverance demonstrates an unwavering commitment to cultivating the land and feeding their communities.
RAFI, with over 30 years of advocating for policies and programs that support small- to mid-scale farmers, is closely monitoring the evolving situation. While this uncertainty remains, we remain steadfast in our mission to support farmers through our integrated programs. The freeze has directly a ected many of the farmers we serve, farmer-support organizations, and, unfortunately, this publication. Due to limited funding, Living Roots will be scaled back after this issue. We hope to produce one or two smaller issues later this year as we work to secure the funds needed to restore it to its full magazine format.
During this period of volatility, we remain hopeful and inspired by the resilience of the farmers we serve and the strength of the communities that support them. Your engagement strengthens our collective voice, and we are grateful for your commitment to justice and equity in agriculture.
With gratitude,
Edna Rodriguez & Kavita Koppa Co-Executive Directors
We also invite you to help shape Living Roots’s future. Please take a few minutes to complete our survey (via the QR code above) and share your thoughts; your input will help secure new funding for the magazine.
farmer’s
news/resources/events
connection
Navigating USDA Amid Federal Cuts
USDA PROGRAMS HAVE provided essential support to farmers and their communities for decades, including conservation funding, loan assistance, and disaster relief. However, recent federal budget cuts and dramatic workforce reductions have left many farmers in limbo — waiting on payments, struggling to access local services, and facing an uncertain future. RAFI is committed to ensuring farmers have the resources, information, and support they need to navigate these changes. From tracking USDA service disruptions to helping farmers find alternative support, RAFI is here to help farmers continue the essential work of growing food, stewarding the land, and keeping rural economies strong. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
USDA CUTS (CONT)
WHAT FARMERS CAN DO
STAY IN CONTACT: Continue to contact your local NRCS and FSA offices for updates on your applications, payments, or contracts. If your usual contact agent has been laid off, request written documentation on your case and clarification on who will handle it moving forward.
DOCUMENT EVERYTHING: Keep records of all correspondence, approvals, and payments related to your USDA agreements. If you experience a funding freeze or program delay, document it thoroughly. If you do not have a signed copy of an FSA or NRCS contract, request this from your FSA or NRCS point of contact.
FIND ALTERNATIVE SUPPORT: Consider exploring state-level programs, nonprofit grants, and cooperative initiatives that may offer temporary relief while federal funding remains uncertain.
STAY INFORMED: Check RAFI’s new resource webpage regularly for the
latest updates, guidance, and advocacy opportunities.
SHARE YOUR STORY: TAKE THE RAFI SURVEY USDA funding freezes and staff cuts are leaving farmers without critical support. If you’ve been impacted, help us advocate for solutions by sharing your experience. Fill out our survey using the QR code on page 5 or visit bit.ly/usdafunding — your story will inform policymakers and help push for change.
JOIN RAFI’S POLICY ACTION NETWORK
Looking for a way to take action? RAFI’s Policy Action Network brings together farmers and advocates to fight for a more just, sustainable food system. Whether or not you’re engaged with USDA programs, you can learn, collaborate, and take meaningful action to shape the policies that affect our farms and communities.
SEE THE QR CODE ON PAGE 5 TO JOIN THE POLICY ACTION NETWORK TODAY AND TAKE RAFI’S STAKEHOLDER SURVEY.
Know Your Rights: What to Do if Immigration Comes to Your Workplace
Increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity is targeting both immigrant workers and employers, including farms, restaurants, food processing facilities, and other food industry workplaces. It’s important for employers to prepare ahead of time and understand their rights and responsibilities in the event of an immigration action. The National Immigration Law Center offers a comprehensive guide to help employers protect their workers and their businesses. Contact a qualified immigration lawyer for more information. SEE QR CODE FOR THE FULL GUIDE.
RAFI at the Inaugural SOWTH Conference
The inaugural SOWTH Conference in Atlanta brought together farmers, food system leaders, and advocates from across the U.S. South to celebrate and strengthen the movement for a more just and resilient agricultural system. The RAFI team was honored to be part of this groundbreaking event, engaging with farmers, sharing resources, and deepening connections within the community.
RAFI’s Co-Executive Director, Kavita Koppa, co-led a breakout session with Walker Harrison of the Foundation for Commu-
PAUL MORIGI, COURTESY OF FARM AID
Farmers and advocates march in the 2023 “Farmers for Climate Action: Rally for Resilience” in Washington, D.C.
nity Impact and Health Equity, highlighting the diverse programs and resources RAFI offers to small farmers in the region. Staff member Zacha Muñiz co-led a breakout session called “Sister Islands — PR and USVI,” discussing struggles like heavy reliance on imported food and ongoing hurricane recovery efforts. Beyond the conference sessions, RAFI’s Farmers of Color Network members met at a local restaurant, allowing for deeper conversations and relationship-building. RAFI staff also joined farm tours, visiting inspiring agricultural spaces and reconnecting with farmers from across the network.
The conference closed with an award ceremony honoring the work of Ira Wallace and Shirley Sherrod, a former RAFI board member. There was also an exciting announcement — SOWTH 2027 will be held in Jackson, Mississippi! RAFI looks forward to continuing this journey of collaboration and support.
Hurricane Season Begins June 1
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season is fast approaching. Expert forecasters say that cooler sea surface temperatures this year indicate a milder hurricane season than in 2024, but it is always a good idea to be prepared. Now is the time to start thinking about personal disaster plans, prepping a go-bag, and taking action to protect your farm in the event of a major storm. Here are some easy steps you can take to set your farm up for a successful recovery:
• Visit or contact your local FSA office to learn about FSA programs that are available to you in case of an emergency. See page 26 for a breakdown of federal disaster assistance programs.
• Have a farm number. All FSA disaster programs will require you to have a farm number to apply. Having a farm number before a disas-
ter hits will help the process of applying for assistance move faster. See RAFI’s website for more information on how and why you need to get a farm number.
• Keep important documents organized and on hand. This includes grower agreements, land leases, harvest records, etc. Make both physical and digital copies if you don’t have them already.
• Take photos of your production, equipment, and infrastructure to have documentation prior to a disaster. In the event of a disaster, remember “Cameras before chainsaws.” Take photos of all damages to crops, livestock, equipment, infrastructure, and the landscape.
• Keep consistent, clear records of your harvest.
• For farmers producing specialty or other non-insurable crops, consider applying for NAP for additional disaster preparedness coverage Application deadlines vary by crop and by state.
Check RAFI’s website for a complete farm emergency checklist and more disaster preparedness resources.
LEARN MORE AT THE QR CODE ABOVE.
RAFI Report: Improving NRCS Access
In December 2024, RAFI published the report Access-
SCA N to learn more about RAFI’s Policy Action Network, find resources for navigating federal programs, register for upcoming events, and more.
ing NRCS Services and Benefits: Challenges and Recommendations for Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers. The report highlights the challenges small-scale and Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers face when accessing services from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and outlines solutions to promote more equitable access. The findings are based on data-driven insights from hundreds of producer surveys and technical assistance cases gathered over two years through RAFI’s Conservation Resources for Resilient Farms project.
The new report outlines concrete recommendations for NRCS to enhance field staff training to better support small and diversified farms, improve producer support processes and transparency, expand individualized technical assistance, and develop regionally and culturally specific outreach materials.
SEE THE QR CODE ABOVE TO READ THE FULL REPORT
Jamila Norman of Patchwork City Farms, and a member of RAFI’s Farmers of Color Network, speaks at the 2025 SOWTH conference.
Latin American Agroecological Encounter Event
JAIRO RESTREPO RIVERA, a Colombian agronomist and agroecology expert, has been a leading voice for sustainable organic agriculture in Latin America and beyond for decades.
With a deep commitment to soil regeneration and sustainable farming, Restrepo Rivera has trained thousands of farmers, scientists, and policymakers in techniques that restore soil health, reduce dependence on chemical inputs, and enhance productivity through natural, farmer-led innovation.
To bring his expertise to farmers
in RAFI’s network, RAFI collaborated with several organizations to host a theoretical and practical course taught by Restrepo Rivera focused on soil regeneration and maximizing productivity through agroecological techniques. The event was held March 7-10 at the University of Puerto Rico in Utuado, bringing together 180 farmers from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, and North Carolina.
Over three days, participants engaged in hands-on practices, shared experiences, and explored innovative techniques inspired by
Restrepo Rivera’s extensive knowledge. Attendees learned about practical tools that promote selfsufficiency, resilience, and the use of biofertilizers and composting in farming systems. This dynamic exchange of knowledge and experience strengthened networks across the Americas, reinforcing the shared goal of building a more sustainable and regenerative agricultural future.
FELLO PÉREZ
Jairo Restepro Rivera making organic fermented bokashi during the Curso de Agricultura Orgánica: Agroecologias Latinoamericanas en Diálogo in Puerto Rico.
Come to the Table’s “Food &” Event Series
THROUGHOUT 2025, Come to the Table is hosting events and trainings under the theme of “Food &.” Each event tackles a di erent topic that impacts and intersects with the food system while speci cally examining how faith communities can examine their place in the challenges and solutions of each topic. We have two upcoming opportunities for virtual engagement — join us for a conversation with Dr. Rebecca de Souza about the role of dignity in emergency food assistance (April) and for a conversation with Joshua Lohnes about the principles and implications of the “right to food” framework (May). This summer, we will be on the road in North Carolina. You can meet us in Asheville for a conversation about stigma and food insecurity and in Rocky Mount to examine corporate control on food access.
SEE THE QR CODE ON PAGE 5 TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER.
Come to the Table’s “Food &” Scheduled Events
FOOD & MYTHS: A conversation with Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove April 10, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. in Durham, NC
FOOD & DIGNITY: Webinar with Dr. Rebecca de Souza April 16, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
FOOD & RIGHTS: Webinar with Josh Lohnes May 8, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
FOOD & STIGMA: Integrating trauma-informed practices into food programming June 3, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in Asheville, NC
FOOD & CONTROL: Exploring the hold corporations have on our food system July 8, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. in Rocky Mount, NC
Top: Participants at Come to the Table’s “Food & Partnerships” event at the Farmville Food Hub in February 2025. Right: David Allen, Justine Post, and Jarred White lead discussions at the “Food & Partnerships” event.
RAFI’S RAPID RESPONSE
Hurricane Relief Behind the Scenes BY KARA HOVING
Jaimie McGirt was on a Zoom call with a friend when the first rains of Hurricane Helene reached North Carolina. She recalls discussing the early storm conditions, casually wondering how long the power would hold.
“We were all unaware of the full effect and magnitude that the storm would have on an entire region because it was initially just rainfall,” says McGirt, RAFI’s Agricultural Conservation Manager. “And so it was very lighthearted, with no awareness of what was about to happen in the next few days.”
The Category 4 storm would prove to be one of the most destructive disasters the state had ever seen. Over the next two days, while traveling to RAFI’s Come to the Table conference, McGirt began receiving messages and photographs of the damage from farmer friends across Western North Carolina. The storm’s impact on the region far surpassed all expectations.
Hurricane Helene’s historic rainfall, strong winds, landslides, tornadoes, and record-breaking flooding would end up claiming over 100 lives, destroying or damaging over 73,000 homes, and causing $60 billion in damage in North Carolina alone. The third-deadliest hurricane of the modern era, Helene reached hundreds of miles inland and ravaged states across the U.S. South and Southern Appalachia, devastating a region that had been previously regarded as a “climate haven,” sheltered from extreme weather disasters. Despite farmers’ best efforts to prepare for the storm, the high winds and heavy rains damaged and destroyed farm buildings, equipment, and critical infrastructure; washed away crops, livestock, vegetation, and topsoil; and wiped out roads, bridges, and power lines, leaving many stranded and cut off from relief efforts.
As news of the devastation poured in, RAFI sprang into action. It was the start of a months-long coordinated effort to help farmers through the crisis, bridge critical gaps in immediate relief, and begin the path toward long-term recovery.
“The morning we gathered to host our conference — an all-hands-on-deck kind of endeavor for RAFI — we knew we had to act fast to help farmers facing some overwhelming challenges,” says RAFI Executive Director Edna Rodriguez. “With many of us in the same room, we coordinated a multi-pronged
response — connecting with farmers in our networks, talking with government employees about disaster aid, and launching our communications and fundraising efforts. It’s a clear example of how collective effort can help us all move forward — even in the toughest times.”
In the “Situation Room”
On September 30, RAFI staff gathered at The Impact Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, for the first in-person Come to the Table conference since 2019. As the devastating impact of the hurricane started becoming apparent, staff huddled in a side room to assess the situation and strategize a response. From this so-called “situation room,” RAFI staff quickly coordinated a multi-faceted, organization-wide relief effort. Policy team members established contact with staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and regional Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices to understand their assessment of the destruction and stay updated on the federal response. RAFI’s development team launched an online appeal to raise funds for direct relief for farmers and set up a basket to collect donations from conference attendees. Lead Farmer Advocate Benny Bunting set about organizing supplies for farmers in need. Conference attendees also pitched in: farmer Nathan
Top: RAFI staff members at the Come to the Table conference discuss the responses to the damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Left: Flood erosion from Hurricane Helene at Springhouse Farm in Vilas, NC.
Galaviz and Theo Feaster of Happy Dirt helped coordinate food and water collection and mobilized deliveries of hay and feed to the western part of the state.
The most critical work was making contact with farmers on the ground. In the earliest stages, RAFI technical assistance staff reached out to farmers in their database, ensuring each farmer had a single point of contact to simplify communication. Dozens of farmers also called the RAFI Farmer Crisis Hotline.
The first priority was checking in to make sure farmers were safe and connecting them with resources to address their immediate needs. For Liz Richardson, RAFI’s Farm Advocacy Program Manager, it was also a time for lending a compassionate ear to people’s struggles. “As a hotline operator during that time frame, my role initially was having conversations
with people who were calling in, receiving their stories, and holding space for them to express what they were experiencing,” she says. “At that point, the shock and the trauma that people were experiencing was very fresh. So it was important to listen and let people express their tears, their sense of overwhelm before discussing next steps and what some of their options were.”
The next step for staff was to help farmers document loss and damages to their farm and report them to FSA. This step was critical for getting a foot in the door for federal disaster financial assistance, both in the immediate term and if additional funding programs were created in the future. RAFI technical assistance staff worked with farmers to create detailed, item-by-item lists of everything that was damaged and lost, from infrastructure, supplies, and equipment to crops and livestock. From there, they could begin categorizing the damages and identify applicable aid programs they could qualify for.
Debris from a barn destroyed by Hurricane Helene on the property of Larry Smith, owner of Mountain Top Fraser Fir, as one of his grandchildren plays on a trampoline, October 9, 2024.
The damages farmers reported ranged from moderate to catastrophic. Reports came in of landslides wiping out entire farms, while floodwaters inundated cropland and decimated fence lines and building foundations. “[We saw] substantial infrastructure damage, but also soil loss and really deep gullies being cut into fields that are going to take substantial repair, as well as extreme creek and river bank damage and vegetation loss of native grasses and native vegetation corridors that are going to take time to repair,” says Richardson. As RAFI amassed information on the full scope of the storm’s impact on farmers, staff members were able to relay that information to federal agencies so they would have a better understanding of needs on the ground.
Support Hub
In the days and weeks following the hurricane, RAFI staff set into the task of helping farmers access much-needed aid. For the first few weeks, the response team met daily to coordinate efforts across programs, ensuring the organization’s technical assistance, policy, fundraising, and farmer relief granting work complemented and built on one another to address the full scope of need.
This was also a time of establishing consistent communication with partner organizations across North Carolina and neighboring states. RAFI coordinated with organizations like Organic Growers School, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, and Carolina Farm Stewardship Association to quickly share information on resources for farmers, refer farmers for financial or technical assistance, and identify any gaps or areas of duplication to make sure each organization could effectively maximize its impact.
RAFI also worked with grassroots leaders who stepped up to support their communities on the ground. Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center staff mobilized volunteer cleanups at farms in their regions, and individual farmers stepped up as well. “I know some farmers actually took on a role of organizing support and resources for the more affected farmers,” says McGirt. Farmers and their neighbors banded together to build bridges to reach their stranded neighbors, and others coordinated “hay drops” at their local volunteer fire department. “And people who took on a role like that, I think, were critical because they were trusted people in their own communities.”
Meanwhile, RAFI’s development team ran a fundraising appeal for donations to the newly established Hurricane Farmer Relief Fund. Over 200 individuals and small groups from across the country contributed, raising over $47,000. Generous support from foundation partners brought in an additional $235,000. These funds supported technical assis-
tance activities, farm infrastructure rebuilding grants, and quick response small emergency relief payments for affected farmers. These emergency payments provided immediate aid without a lengthy application process, helping to tide farmers over as they began to navigate federal assistance offerings. Farmers could use the funds for anything from repairing fencing and greenhouses, to purchasing compost or cover crop seeds to rebuild their soils, to paying bills and employees.
As the federal response to the crisis took shape, RAFI was in constant contact to update farmers on the programs that were becoming available. RAFI’s Farm Services Director, Tee
HELENE BY THE NUMBERS
221 farmers receiving technical assistance
71 farmers receiving quick response small emergency relief payments
$282,000 raised
Generous support from 11 foundations and over 200 individual donors
Turner, created an online hub with multi-lingual resources, a curated list of assistance programs for farmers, and general tips for navigating aid, while the technical assistance team helped guide farmers through the process of applying.
“In normal times, it’s hard enough to understand federal financial assistance programs, but after a devastating disaster that destroyed almost everything you produce and your infrastructure, understanding these programs is like ten times harder,” says McGirt. “So we saw the need for this individualized assistance to help farmers through the process.”
Technical assistance providers helped farmers triage which programs were the best fit and walked them through the next
steps, like calling their FSA agent, organizing their documentation of damages and losses, and completing application forms. In some cases, RAFI staff joined in on farmers’ FSA appointments to help ask questions or prompt further explanations to make sure all details were discussed. In total, RAFI was in contact with 221 impacted farmers, providing varying levels of personalized assistance.
Bridging the Gaps
One of the biggest challenges with federal aid is the time it takes for applications to be processed and approved. “It’s hard enough that this has happened, but then the difficulty of going through the process to get the resources you need to fix the problem was a big theme,” says Liz Richardson. “Though they were facing something really traumatic, most farmers have a can-do attitude. And so they were gung-ho about wanting to fix things right away.” Unfortunately, many relief programs set rigid protocols for farmers to access funds, requiring them to get permission from their local FSA before they can begin certain repairs. The strict requirements and long wait periods often fail to provide farmers the flexibility they need to take timely action post-disaster, which can be frustrating and retraumatizing for many.
The hurricane also laid bare the limited ability of federal disaster policies to serve small and diversified farms. Many USDA emergency relief programs are predicated on federal crop insurance coverage, generally focusing on financial assistance for larger-scale single-crop producers. Only two of the over 200 farmers who received RAFI assistance were covered through the FSA’s Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP).
As these limitations became apparent, RAFI’s policy team contacted agencies to find solutions for farmers who would fall through the gaps. “We’re in a bridge role,” says RAFI’s Policy Co-Director, Aaron Johnson. The policy team used information and feedback from farmers on the ground to identify the kinds of assistance these farmers needed.
Responding to the advocacy of RAFI and other partners, USDA issued waivers to speed up the application process and allow farmers to begin needed cleanup efforts. These ranged from waiving certain inspection requirements to allowing farmers to remove debris and replace infrastructure without prior FSA approval.
In other cases, RAFI worked with agencies to figure out existing discretionary authority within a program that could meet the unique needs of small farmers. For example, for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), most of the institutional knowledge among FSA agents in North Carolina revolved around large-scale livestock and poultry operations in the eastern part of the state. RAFI worked with FSA at both the federal and local levels to delve deeper into how
small-scale and diversified farms could utilize that program.
“We were able to get past the lack of public information about that program and found out that ECP really does cover a lot of different things, including cover crop establishment or different kinds of debris removal,” says Johnson. “There are limitations to what you can and cannot do within any given federal program because the law dictates what you can and can’t do. And so the game is trying to figure out what flexibilities there are and what things they can change or adapt to work better that’s within their authority.”
In some cases, flexibilities within the federal aid machine were not enough to overcome statutory gaps. One major challenge was the lack of funding for repairing farm access roads and bridges, which are not adequately covered by any USDA or FEMA program. In these cases, RAFI turned to philanthropy to help bridge the gap.
“One of the interesting things that became clear very early on was that a lot of philanthropy folks think that the federal government takes care of farmers after disasters and that philanthropy isn’t needed,” says RAFI’s Development Director Susan Alan. “And we were having to educate them about how that was not the case. I think once they began to understand that, it shifted the dynamic somewhat and opened up some philanthropic giving.”
Thanks to support from philanthropic donors, Phase 2 of RAFI’s hurricane response includes grants of up to $10,000 for projects to rebuild farm infrastructure. RAFI has awarded grants to 14 farmers.
The Long Road to Recovery
For Jaimie McGirt, the experience of seeing people come together to rebuild has been a testament to the grit and resilience of the Appalachian community.
“I have seen so many instances of farmers and community members banding together to solve problems that they could not afford to wait for someone else to solve for them,” she says. “Having formerly lived in western North Carolina for 10 years and being very involved in the farm community then, it was clear how much grit the western North Carolina community and the Appalachian culture has. And this disaster was no exception.”
Now, months after Helene, much of the debris has been cleared away. However, for many farmers in RAFI’s network, the work to rebuild remains ongoing. For some, recovery could take years.
RAFI technical assistance staff worked with diversified farmers with perennial fruit production, agroforestry systems, or regenerative practices whose approach to land stewardship was a labor of love that took years or decades to cultivate.
McGirt recalls one farmer saying, “I’ve been farming for 15 years, and when I think about all of the things that need to be repaired and restored — I can fix a fence. I can buy more supplies. But I can’t just replace 13 years of topsoil that has washed away overnight.”
Losses like this can bring a sense of deep grief and uncertainty for the future. Recovery will require not just the grit and resilience inherent to the region but also federal, state, and local agency support designed with all scales and types of producers in mind. Technical assistance from trusted organizations will remain critical to ensure that farmers have equitable access to relief programs. RAFI is committed to offering ongoing technical assistance as long as farmers need it and to be a partner that walks with them through the process of rebuilding.
“I want to echo some voices I have heard out of western North Carolina after the storm, which is that for the rest of us in the state and in communities not affected, that we not
forget them,” says McGirt. “We can’t forget people after the triage and initial treatment stage is over. This is a time to ensure that we wrap around in support and create ways for affected communities to be together and create resilience.”
It’s also a time to help communities prepare for the next disaster. Scientists estimate that climate change played a significant role in amplifying Helene’s intensity and will make storms like this one increasingly frequent. RAFI continues to work with farmers to build on-farm resilience and make sure they have the tools and information they need for the next time disaster strikes. Armed with strengthened relationships with federal and state agency staff and other partner organizations, RAFI stands ready to respond.
KARA HOVING is a writer and policy advocate specializing in sustainable food systems and climate change communication. She helps nonprofits tell solutions-based stories that build momentum for positive change.
Larry Smith, owner of Mountain Top Fraser Fir in Newland, North Carolina, stands next to his truck along his harvest route, which was heavily damaged in Hurricane Helene, October 9, 2024.
Cultivating Resilience: Expert Advice for Climate-Ready Agriculture
BY HOPE OSTANE-BAUCOM
Laura Lengnick has worked for a just transformation of U.S. food and farming for more than 30 years. She served as a lead author of the 2013 USDA report, Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation, and led the development of the Agriculture Action Plan included in the 2020 North Carolina Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan. Since 2015, Laura has worked with organizations of all kinds to integrate resilience thinking into operations and strategic planning. The second edition of her award-winning book, Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate (2022), examines climate change, resilience, and the future of food through the adaptation stories of more than 45 award-winning farmers and ranchers growing food throughout the U.S. You can learn more about Laura and her work at cultivatingresilience.com.
RAFI Farmers of Color Network Communications Coordinator Hope Ostane-Baucom spoke with Laura Lengnick about fostering on-farm climate resilience.
Hope Ostane-Baucom (HOB): Can you briefly explain what climate resilience means in the context of agriculture?
Laura Lengnick (LL): Climate resilience means being able to continue to produce and deliver agricultural goods and services despite the disturbances and shocks caused by changing weather patterns and more frequent and intense extreme weather.
HOB: Why is it important for farmers to develop a regenerative climate resilience plan now?
LL: Farmers all over the world are struggling to manage the increasing disruptions to their operations caused by more variable weather patterns and extreme weather events. The kinds of risk management practices used by farmers in the past — for example, depending only on irrigation during a dry period/drought, applying chemicals to control pests and diseases, or purchasing insurance to cover production losses — are growing more expensive and less effective as climate change impacts increase. Today’s farmers need a new way to think about managing the increased weather-related risk — called climate risk — associated with climate change. Regenerative climate resilience planning can help farmers take advantage of this new way of thinking to achieve their business goals as climate risk increases in the coming years.
HOB: What are some of the biggest challenges farmers in the Southeast U.S. face today due to climate change, and how can farmers learn about the specific climate risks in their region?
LL: Farmers in the Southeast say that warmer winters, hotter summers, more dry periods and drought, stronger winds, more extreme weather, reduced water supplies, the earlier arrival of traditional pests and diseases, and the introduction of new pests and diseases have made it harder to manage their operations successfully over the last 20 years. A good way to learn about climate risk speci c to the Southeast is to use some of the free online climate risk resources recommended at regenerativefarmresilienceguide.org. For example, the SARE Bulletin, Cultivating Climate Resilience on Farms and Ranches, includes a table of current and expected changes in seasonal weather patterns in the Southeast.
HOB: How can small-scale farmers with limited resources begin to increase the resilience of their operations?
LL: The rst step is to make a climate resilience plan. Regenerativefarmresilienceguide.org (linked in the QR code above) o ers a free DIY “5 Steps” guide for gathering information about climate risks to your farm and identifying the risk management strategies and resilience practices that are a best t for your operation.
Most farmers can complete a 5 Steps plan in about 25 hours if they follow the DIY 5 Steps Guide. If this is too much time, the next best thing a small-scale farmer can do is use the 5 Steps guide to do two things. First, make a SWOT
SCA N for more tools & resources on on-farm climate resilience and to download the free 5 Steps planning guide.
table to review your farm’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats in order to have a clearer picture of your current business position. Second, identify weather-related threats to your farm and review your current climate risk management practices. Then, use any lessons learned through these two steps to improve your standard operation planning.
HOB: Are there any tools or resources you would recommend to help farmers monitor climate impacts on their farms?
LL: Farmers can add a few simple observations to the data that many farmers already use to measure farm performance — like production costs or crop yield and quality — to assess the impact of climate change on their operation. For example, they can get started by trying a few of the whole-farm monitoring practices recommended in the Monitoring Toolbox (linked in the QR
code above), like regularly recording temperature, rainfall, or water use in di erent areas of the farm, keeping track of how stress levels of the people working on the farm change through the growing season, or documenting annual production costs and income for key farm enterprises. Tracking these items can help farmers answer questions like “Is climate risk changing my bottom line? How well am I managing water supplies on my farm? How are weather-related changes a ecting the well-being of me and my employees?”
HOB: What makes a resilience plan effective and adaptable to unexpected changes?
LL: The key di erence between a more traditional farm management/ operations plan and a farm resilience plan is the use of practices that support farmer observation of farm system performance over time. These practices — such as regular observation of water
Ellery Locklear examines tomatoes planted with plastic mulch at his farm in Pembroke, NC. Plastic mulch helps retain soil moisture, protecting crops from drought and high summer temperatures.
Crafting Your Climate Resilience Plan
When creating a climate resilience plan, it can be difficult to decide where to start. According to Lengnick, the USDA recommends prioritizing actions in the following order:
USE ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT: This involves making decisions based on ongoing observations and experiences, allowing farmers to refine their practices in real time as conditions and challenges change. For example, farmers and ranchers use regular on-farm observations of rainfall, soil moisture, and plant growth through the growing season to guide their use of practices like intensive grazing or dynamic crop rotation.
REDUCE NEAR-TERM RISK TO CRITICAL ASSETS: Prioritize actions that address the most immediate threats to key resources or operations, such as protecting against droughts that can cause total crop failure.
REDUCE RISK TO MOST VULNERABLE ASSETS: Focus on safeguarding resources or systems most at risk of damage, such as protecting the soil from erosion or preventing loss of crops during extreme weather events.
CHOOSE OPTIONS MOST LIKELY TO BE EFFECTIVE: Select proven strategies with a high likelihood of success, especially when addressing critical risks, to ensure the chosen actions achieve their intended goals without unnecessary risks. For example, if you want to improve soil health to reduce vulnerability to drought, choose soil health practices that have proven successful for other farmers in your area rather than a practice that has rarely or never proven successful.
CHOOSE “NO REGRETS” OPTIONS: Adopt practices that offer benefits regardless of climate conditions, such as cultivating soil health, which improves resilience and profitability even in years with favorable weather.
CHOOSE OPTIONS WITH MITIGATION CO-BENEFITS: Implement strategies that not only reduce climate risks but also contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions or providing other environmental benefits, such as using cover crops and crop diversity.
of healthy social networks as a climate risk management strategy is one important difference between regenerative resilience planning and current risk management practices recommended by the USDA, which tend to put more focus on financial and technological climate risk management practices — for example, purchasing production insurance, adding drainage, or upgrading to more efficient irrigation.
HOB: Could you share a story about a farmer who inspired you with their innovative approach to climate resilience?
use, worker stress levels, or profitability of each farm enterprise — help the farmer learn how the farm as a whole responds to changing conditions — both those that are expected and those that are not.
HOB: How does collaboration with other farmers or community stakeholders fit into these steps?
LL: Regenerative climate resilience planning invites farmers to think about cultivating healthy social relationships
— with farming and non-farming neighbors, customers, suppliers, and technical assistance specialists, for example — to reduce climate risk to their operations. Participation in social networks is proven to promote onfarm innovations that enhance farm resilience — for example, the learning supported by participation in community-based research and education. In addition, social networks are widely recognized as critical to swift and lowcost disaster recovery. This recognition
LL: It is difficult to choose just one example. Every farmer that I’ve worked with since I started exploring the idea of resilience has inspired me with their knowledge, creativity, and commitment to caring for their land while producing healthy food for their community. They have invited me to broaden my own thinking about what it means to cultivate resilience in a particular place, at a particular time, and on a particular farm. Some farmers that come to mind have fine-tuned practical strategies to cultivate resilience in their own operations. For example, Tom Trantham’s “12 Aprils” pasture-cropping system on his dairy farm in SC. Bernard Obie’s attention to cultivating a spiritual partnership with the plants that he tends on his diversified vegetable and fruit farm in NC. Ira Wallace and Mary Berry’s shift to no-till soil practices and the addition of earthworks on their vegetable seed farm in VA. Jim Crawford’s use of plastic mulch to protect his field soils from heavy rains between soil prep and planting on his diversified vegetable farm in PA. Jim and Adele Hayes’ use of “practice stacking” on their multispecies livestock farm in NY.
HOB: How have farmers used traditional or Indigenous knowledge in their resilience efforts?
LL: All of today’s farmers grow food using practices rooted in Indigenous knowledge, whether they recognize this or not. Many common socalled sustainable, organic, or regenerative agricultural principles and practices used by farmers in the U.S. have been carefully crafted through millennia by Indigenous people growing food for their communities around the world. Diversified farmers throughout the U.S. say that they depend on a small set of modern practices with strong Indigenous roots to cultivate climate resilience, including practices that promote soil health and increase biodiversity on farms, such as crop rotation, cover crops, reduced tillage, the use of fire and grazing animals as management tools, and the integration of animals and perennial crops into annual cropping systems. Some farmers also recognize the value of these practices to cultivate healthy relationships of mutual benefit and reciprocity, respect, and appreciation for the land, people, and communities that sustain their farm over the long term.
HOB: What role do policies or community programs play in supporting farmers’ climate resilience efforts?
LL: Over the last decade, changes in federal and state agricultural policy, along with new public and private sector funding, have been an important source of technical and financial assistance to farmers working to adapt to climate change and cultivate the climate resilience of their operations. Many of these new policies and programs also created new opportunities for farmers considered “historically underserved” by the USDA — including beginning,
socially disadvantaged, veteran, and limited-resource farmers. Such initiatives include federal and state programs like the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, NRCS Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Activities, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and nonprofit projects like the American Farmland Trust’s Women for the Land Resilience Learning Circles and RAFI’s Climate and Equity Policy Project and Resources for Resilient Farms project.
On January 27, the USDA froze all grant and loan programs. Since then, we have witnessed a confusion of executive orders, departmental directives, lawsuits, and court decisions as the new Trump administration works to permanently end all federal funding for programs designed to support historically underserved farmers and agricultural adaptation to climate
change. I don’t know where federally funded agricultural assistance programs will land when the dust settles on these early days of the Trump administration. What I do know is that climate risk is expected to grow more damaging in the years ahead. If we want U.S. agriculture to continue to produce the agricultural goods and services so fundamental to our well-being, we must be willing to help all of our farmers and ranchers adapt to the unprecedented challenges ahead by supporting community-based technical and financial assistance programs.
HOPE OSTANE-BAUCOM joined RAFI as the Farmers of Color Network Communications Coordinator in July 2024. Hope is passionate about local food systems and integrated pest management. She volunteers at farmer’s markets, tends her garden, and performs spoken word poetry.
Left: A solar-powered weather station with anemometers to collect on-farm climate data. Top: Plastic mulch is rolled out at Ten Mothers farm in Cedar Grove, NC. Bottom: A green rain gauge hangs from a fence to measure precipitation.
COME TOGETHER
BY DAVID ALLEN, KARA HOVING, ZACHA MUÑIZ, AND FELLO
PÉREZ
“Disaster doesn’t sort us out by preferences; it drags us into emergencies that require we act, and act altruistically, bravely, and with initiative in order to survive or save the neighbors, no matter how we vote or what we do for a living,” writes author Rebecca Solnit in her book A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster. Nowhere is this more true than in farming communities, where farmers engage in both formal and informal mutual aid networks to help their neighbors in times of crisis. This article tells the stories of organizations and ordinary folk who stepped up to support and empower their communities through recent extreme weather events.
Mobilizing for Resilience in Western North Carolina
After Hurricane Helene unleashed unprecedented devastation on Western North Carolina, farm advocacy organizations like Blue Ridge Women In Agriculture (BRWIA) and Organic Growers School (OGS) immediately sprang into action to support affected farmers.
Liz Whiteman, executive director of BRWIA, says their staff began calling farmers in their network as soon as they could. While many of the more than 100 farmers remained safe and experienced minimal damage, others were not as fortunate.
BRWIA’s network mobilized immediately, opening up their walk-in freezers and refrigerators for affected producers to store whatever they needed — from a box of turnips to a whole processed side of beef. Recognizing the immediate need for clean-up assistance, BRWIA released a volunteer sign-up sheet on its website and social channels and received over 500 submissions from NC residents near and far wanting to help. They coordinated 22 workdays on 16 farms, contributing over 700 hours of labor to help farmers in the aftermath of the storm. Volunteers cleared debris, rerouted creeks, cleaned flood-damaged growing beds, rebuilt infrastructure, and more.
“As an organization, we were able to ask people what they needed,” Whiteman says. “And we were able to connect them to the people who could get them the help they needed, even if that wasn’t us.”
One of the many farmers affected was Mary Carroll Dodd of Red Scout Farm, an organic vegetable farm in Black Mountain, NC. Dodd considered herself lucky to have had just minimal structural damage and topsoil runoff and immediately set to work to help others experiencing damage.
Many hands make light work. Volunteers work together to clean up after Hurricane Helene.
“It was kind of a blur. Our main concern was our neighbors,” Dodd says. “We had a lot of produce in the cold room, and because the power was out, we just started to cook. Everything was so overwhelming at the time. I just felt like that was one thing I could do.”
Dodd recounts the immediate days of recovery — gathering in the morning to determine what needed to be done that day — and the help of strangers, volunteers pouring in from across the state with much-needed equipment and a generous spirit. “There was such an outpouring of love and support for our farm and area,” says Dodd.
Dodd was scheduled to attend a Farmers and Ranchers in Action Event in Washington, D.C., just 10 days after the hurricane. She initially balked at attending, given the circumstances, but ultimately decided that Western NC farmers couldn’t afford to be left out of important conversations about their future.
“I really wanted to be able to share the stories of what was going on with the White House and the USDA,” Dodd says. “I was able to get in touch with nearby farmers and hear about what they had gone through, what they lost, and what they needed.”
Top Left: Customers of Granddad’s Apples in Hendersonville, NC, shop for apples after the orchard sustained damage in Hurricane Helene. Top Right: Produce is organized in Swannanoa, NC, before a Bounty and Soul fresh food drive. Bottom Left: El Futuro Es Nuestro staff members and volunteers deliver goods to North Carolina farmworkers. Bottom Right: José Gonzalez prepares harvested coffee fruits at a farm brigade in Puerto Rico.
ANGELA WILHELM; LETICIA ZAVALA; JEHYRA ASENCIO YACE
Most of the staff of Organic Growers School, including executive director Cameron Farlow, are based in Asheville, NC, which was especially hard hit by the hurricane.
“Without cell service or internet, no one really knew what was going on. You could only talk to who you could physically walk to, so many of us didn’t know the magnitude across the whole area,” Farlow says. “[OGS] was trying to figure out how to leverage our strengths. We have the community, so how can we get the word out to help farmers?”
Knowing its strengths lay in educational efforts and networking, OGS focused on connection. They created and shared crowd-sourced fundraising campaigns for over 35 affected farmers, provided critical information on soil testing after the storm, and planned work days.
In the immediate aftermath of Helene, the nation’s attention and money were rightfully focused on affected areas. But six months later, one year later, once the storm waters have subsided — what remains? Who will be there to carry on the work?
“I think there is always this need to say ‘it’s over, get it together,’” says Farlow. “But if we want to be able to learn anything from this and really heal, it’s going to take time and acknowledgment and mutual support.”
The takeaways are both existential and practical. Our food systems are fragile. For local food systems especially, Whiteman points out that even if a farm survived with little damage, their farmers markets, restaurants they sell to, and customer base were surely affected. But the affected communities met this fragility with resilience — whether it was mucking out a barn, rebuilding a bridge, or just sitting and sharing.
hurricanes, floods, or extreme temperatures.
Most farmworkers are in the country on temporary H-2A visas, which tie them to a specific employer responsible for providing housing. If weather disasters wipe out a crop, farmworkers on this visa can be sent home early or find themselves without housing or work to earn money for their families. Other farmworkers lack immigration papers and may be unable or hesitant to access help and resources when a disaster hits.
In August 2024, heavy rainfall from Hurricane Debby devastated much of the tobacco and sweet potato harvest in Eastern North Carolina, leaving many farmworkers without work. By the time Hurricane Helene hit in October when migrant farmworkers arrived in the mountains of Western NC for the Christmas tree harvest, many were already struggling with poor food access and lost wages.
Once the storm waters have subsided — what remains? Who will be there to carry on the work?
Leticia Zavala, Co-Coordinator at the farmworker-led human rights organization El Futuro es Nuestro (It’s Our Future), describes the confusion farmworkers experienced as Hurricane Helene approached: “We had workers that got a lot of alarms on their phones, but they’re all in English, so they knew something was going on, but they didn’t know what.”
No one was prepared for the scale of Helene’s impact. “Speaking to some growers, we heard there was gonna be a lot of rain and potential for flooding, but we’ve never seen such a disaster in this area. So we kind of didn’t believe it,” says Zavala. “So people didn’t respond too much. And so when it hit, workers were just kind of stranded without phone service, without electricity, and without food.”
“It’s all coming back to community,” Farlow says. “That’s who responded, and that’s who showed up.”
“Our systems survive, but they’re really fragile,” says Whiteman. “And we can still do a lot of work to make them more resilient.” DA
Solidarity for Farmworkers Facing Extreme Weather Impacts
When climate-driven disasters hit, farmworkers are often among the first and worst impacted. Working outdoors in extreme conditions, often living in mobile homes in isolated rural areas, and lacking full control over their housing, transportation, and food supply leaves these workers especially vulnerable to events like
El Futuro es Nuestro worked to help farmworkers get food, toiletries, and other essentials. Aid organizations had established food distribution centers, but some growers did not provide their workers with transportation or information on how to access them. Furthermore, the centers lacked food options that were fresh, healthy, or culturally appropriate. “There’s a lot of this American food that we’re getting that we don’t know what to do with. We don’t know what it is,” says Zavala, “Like, there’s no beans. There’s no tortillas.”
Zavala’s organization brought in food donations from pantries and foundations like Church World Service. At the same time, farmworkers and others within the Latine community were stepping up to help their neighbors. “Some of them were working in a tortilla factory and they organized themselves to
ask the company to give tortillas, for example. We had Mexican stores and vendors donate beans and things like that.”
Beyond meeting basic needs, Zavala notes that it’s imperative to make sure workers’ rights are protected. Often, during post-disaster recovery, wage theft and labor violations run rampant. These issues often go unreported for fear of retaliation and threats to workers’ immigration status. Following Helene, Zavala says that some workers with protected immigration status stepped up to report violations and protect others in their community.
In addition to acute disasters like Hurricane Helene, farmworkers also face risks from climate impacts that are more difficult to see. Heat stress is a major concern as workers must labor outside amid rising global temperatures, often without breaks or reprieve, according to Zavala.
“A worker is out in the heat working all day, but then most of the workers are transported in school buses that are not equipped with air conditioning. And then there are no requirements for air conditioning in their housing facilities. So their body just doesn’t have a space to really cool down,” she says. “They’re coming home to overcrowded housing where the temperatures are probably just as bad at night as they were when they were out in the fields. And so being exposed to that in the long run is just dangerous.”
Zavala says that there has been at least one farmworker death from extreme heat exposure in North Carolina every year for the past three years. In the summer of 2024, at
least 30 farmworkers were fired or forced to leave their jobs because they could not keep up the pace of work or had to take breaks or receive medical attention due to the heat.
El Futuro es Nuestro offers collective responsibility training for workers. This training helps them recognize the symptoms of heat stress in others, identify their options for medical assistance, and report dangerous working conditions. Thus, it helps build collective resilience in farmworker communities.
Ultimately, stronger labor rules and enforcement are needed to ensure a safe working environment for farmworkers in the long term. El Futuro es Nuestro is working in coalitions to advocate for stronger protections and preparedness planning. Most recently, they championed an OSHA rule that would guarantee workers the right to a break and require employers to create a plan to control heat hazards in their workplace through measures like cooling centers or altered work schedules. They are also pushing for Spanish-language Emergency Service Alerts and FEMA disaster messaging so immigrant workers have access to all the information they need to prepare for extreme weather. KH
Farm Brigades on the Front Lines of Disaster Response in Puerto Rico
A farm brigade, or brigada, brings a team of people together to provide a farmer with support for labor-intensive work. Farm brigades are a long-standing mutual aid tradition in
Left: Joaquin Alvarez (left) works with farm owner Dennis Padua at Finca Verde Luz farm in Puerto Rico. Right: Utuado farmer and brigada participant Damian Jimenez with harvested coffee fruits.
farming communities in Puerto Rico. They represent exchanges of labor, knowledge, and camaraderie rooted in empathy, trust, and solidarity. The impact of this practice is immeasurable because a well-organized brigade can accomplish a tremendous amount of work on a farm in a short amount of time — an impact that cannot simply be quantified in monetary terms.
Farm brigades are often organized as a quick response action in the face of weather emergencies such as hurricanes, like Hurricane Ernesto in Puerto Rico in August 2024. Drawing on prior experience responding to the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, RAFI’s Puerto Rico Farmer Resources Coordinator, Fello Pérez, worked with farmers and partners on the ground to coordinate brigades to support farmers in the aftermath of the storm.
The first step was identifying the regions of the island hardest hit by the hurricane and determining which farmers in those areas required assistance. This assessment identified several affected farms in San Sebastián, Utuado, Jayuya, and Adjuntas. These farms needed help with tasks such as clearing roads to access planting plots, harvesting crops nearing maturity, removing fallen trees and vegetative debris obstructing crop development, repairing broken fences, and replanting fields with impacted crops, among other urgent needs.
WHAT IS MUTUAL AID?
“Mutual aid” describes grassroots efforts to voluntarily cooperate and share resources for the common benefit of a community. Unlike charity, which depends on a one-way flow of resources, mutual aid is built on solidarity and reciprocity, with people coming together to both support and be supported by one another.
Mutual aid has a long history in Black and Indigenous traditions, and it is becoming an ever-important tool for communities to get through challenging times together.
How does mutual aid help build resilience to disasters? Mutual aid networks can often respond more rapidly to disasters than philanthropy groups or government agencies, working on the ground to get urgent help to people who need it. Mutual aid builds community-wide resilience by having relationships, resources, and lines of communication that are suited to a particular community’s needs ready in place in the event of a disaster. Over the long term, these organized networks of support can work together to advocate for change to meet the community’s ongoing needs.
How can I get involved in mutual aid in my community? Get to know your neighbors. Relationships are the backbone of mutual aid.
Map the needs and resources in your community to see what gaps need filling. Everyone has something to contribute, whether it’s something physical to share like food, tools, or transportation, or intangible resources, like knowledge, skills, and time.
Connect with local food pantries, shelters, faith communities, community centers, and activist spaces. These organizations may not fill every need within a community, but they are great places to build relationships and tap into existing networks. Find initiatives near you using tools like www.mutualaidhub.org.
Joaquin Alvarez, an experienced farmer/ agronomist, was the designated coordinator who communicated with each farmer to schedule dates, outline tasks, and set clear goals for the brigade. Alvarez also activated a team of skilled agricultural workers from Utuado. This approach ensured that the team — equipped with the necessary tools and equipment — could execute the work as efficiently as possible, tailored to the farmer’s specific needs.
The brigades began at 6:00 a.m. with the freshness of the tropical morning. While the brigadas were initially planned to conclude by midday, the farmers’ immense gratitude often led to extending the day. Farmers frequently invited the workers to stay and rest, talk, and enjoy a meal together. Over two months, seven farms (Finca Verde Luz, Hacienda Las Malcriás, Finca Gripiñas, El Guayabito, Finca Belén, Atypica Farm, and San Carmelo de la Plata) were directly supported through this solidarity-driven initiative. Community participation played a key role in the success of
these brigades. Volunteers from the surrounding areas joined in, contributing to various tasks, including preparing meals for the workers. The brigades helped foster a sense of community and camaraderie, with one worker saying, “Hopefully, we can continue with this work through the entire island because, in this way, we are really having a positive impact on farmers.”
For many of the farmers — some of whom had never received this level of hands-on help — the experience was transformative. Most of these farmers work alone or solely with family members, so the brigadas provided a significant morale boost and renewed energy to rebuild and move forward.
“This type of support is more valuable than any grant or monetary aid we could receive,” stated one of the farmers who benefited from the initiative.
The spirit of brigadas exemplifies the power of community and solidarity, a tradition that will continue to thrive for generations to come. FP & ZM
Making Hay When the Sun Doesn’t Shine
Maintaining Mental Health After Disasters
EVERY DAY, THE Farm Aid Hotline Team supports farmers navigating chronic or acutely stressful circumstances, such as weather and market disasters, conflicts about farm succession, or legal challenges to their livelihood. With nearly 40 years of experience working with farmers, our goal is to connect them with helpful services, resources, and opportunities specific to their individual needs. This article combines the hotline’s observations with others’ expertise on the intersection of farm stress and natural disasters.
When disasters occur, farmers risk losing not only property and crops but also their livelihoods and family farm legacies. It’s entirely natural
BY LORI MERCER
that stress accompanies this aftermath. Stress is embedded in our biology as a response to a perceived threat. While small amounts of stress can galvanize us to action, too much stress can be paralyzing.
The catastrophic nature of disasters sets off a stress reaction that makes it difficult to see a way forward. Unrelenting stress impairs our ability to concentrate, make decisions, judge wisely, and initiate contact with others. It’s not difficult to fall into a pattern where decisions made under stress create more stress, triggering a harmful cycle.
Fortunately, there are ways to interrupt the stress cycle before it escalates. One of the most effective
insulators is strong relationships. The value of friends, fellow farmers, and family cannot be overstated, especially during challenging times. That sense of community supplies productive space to exchange information, empathize, decompress, brainstorm, and simply “chew the fat,” something we have been prewired to do since our hunter-gatherer days. In our modern world, finding community takes more effort (and social media doesn’t fully count), but it’s well worth it.
Fortunately, support also tends to materialize following a disaster as folks pull together to help. Tough times often bring out the best in people, especially at the local level. Be sure to cultivate those relationships and pursue a range of coping strategies that effectively alleviate your stress. The more buffers you have in place, the more resilient you will be in the face of a crisis.
Finally, the line between stress and grief is thinner than a blade of grass. For anyone who has suffered a loss, you know firsthand that grief has its own timeline. Be vigilant about issues that may emerge months later. Be patient with yourself as you grasp your new reality and embark on your disaster recovery journey.
LORI MERCER joined the Farm Aid staff in 2021 as a Hotline Operator. After a decades-long career in private practice audiology, she attended Washington State University and received an MS in Agriculture with a focus in food systems and agroecology. She’s also worked with local family farmers in the agriculturally rich valleys surrounding the Seattle area.
LIVING ROOTS SPRING 2025
Farm Aid hotline team (from left): Tony Glover, Rachel Van Boven, Caitlin Arnold Stephano, Lori Mercer, Ashley Garfias, and Alexandria Ward.
Resources for Challenging Times
The following resources offer helpful information to help cultivate a productive mindset during challenging times. The links to these resources are available at the QR code above.
SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline is a free hotline for anyone experiencing a disaster. Call or text 1.800.985.5990.
How Stress Affects Brain and Body, University of Wisconsin Extension. This guide covers stress’s physiological, relational, and cognitive impacts and strategies to mitigate its impacts.
What You Should Know About Toxic Stress from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. This short article explains how stress impacts the brain, especially in children and youth, and how to counteract that stress through human connections.
Coping With Natural Disasters, Colorado State University Extension’s helpful tips to cope better during difficult times following a natural disaster.
Catch Your Own Distorted Thinking from Farm First. Patterns of distorted thinking can lead to anxious or depressed feelings. This resource will teach how to identify and challenge common patterns.
Rural Realities, from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. This farmer podcast series presents advice from experts to help reduce stress, improve a farm’s financial situation, implement good communication skills, and more.
Resilient Farmers, Ranchers and Communities: Social Sustainability
in Agriculture - Community Connections from SARE. In agriculture, community connections focus on the quality of relationships among farmers and between farmers and the non-farming communities in which they live.
How to Talk With Farmers
Under Stress from Michigan State University Extension. This resource provides support and help to farmers who are going through times of extreme stress.
Agricultural Producers and Stress: When Do I Need a Counselor? from University of Wyoming Extension. Learn about barriers to seeking help, clues that it may be time to see a counselor, and suggestions to find the right counselor.
Imagine All the People: Building Inner Strength Through Social Connection from Psychology Today offers four strategies to foster resilience through social connection and community.
Combatting the Loneliness of Mental Illness from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Learn strategies for overcoming loneliness and reconnecting with others during times of extreme stress.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a free nationwide hotline available 24/7 (calls, chats, or texts) for anyone experiencing emotional distress or a suicidal crisis.
SCA N for links to these resources and more from RAFI and Farm Aid.
For further assistance, see Farm Aid’s Farmer Services Resources:
Farm Aid Hotline, 1.800. FARMAID (1.800.327.6243). Our Hotline Team is available from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET Monday through Friday; our Spanish Hotline is available from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
Farm Aid Farm Stress Resource Guide
Farm Aid Farmer Resource Network (FRN): Farm Aid’s clearinghouse of organizations, programs, courses, and publications is available in both English and Spanish. The FRN also includes national and state-based free farm stress counseling programs, as they are available. See North Carolina Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network program as an example.
Against the Grain Bonus EP 4: Farm Aid’s Disaster Response
Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised nearly $80 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture.
SCAN to learn more about federal disaster assistance program benefits, eligibility, and deadlines.
Navigating Federal Disaster Assistance for Farmers
BY TEIARA TURNER
WHEN DISASTER STRIKES,
the last thing farmers want to think about is lling out the proper paperwork. Emergency assistance from USDA and other federal agencies can help you get on the road to recovery, but navigating the maze of di erent program requirements can be tricky. Knowing what to expect and what agencies to contact for assistance is invaluable for farmers who want to be prepared for whatever might come their way. Here are some tips on what to
know when applying for assistance, along with brief outlines of the major USDA programs available to help farmers through climate disasters.
GENERAL TIPS
Document your damage before cleaning up. Collect photos, notes, descriptions, receipts, and anything to help prove what happened on the farm. These will be important to share with the local FSA o ce in order to demonstrate eligibility for most federal
assistance programs. When sharing photos of the damage with FSA agents, try to only submit the most relevant photos rather than sending huge les, which may not transmit successfully.
Contact agencies ASAP. Local FEMA and USDA agents should be contacted as soon as possible. This is especially true for USDA if you have not previously worked with them. Also, keep a written record of all contacts with people from agencies, insurance companies, contractors, and anyone o cially involved in the recovery e ort.
Pay attention to deadlines. Deadlines will come up fast! Make sure to book an application appointment with your local agency before the deadline. Watch for waivers. Agencies sometimes lift or adapt their typical program requirements to make their programs more exible during extreme disaster events. For example, following Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton, USDA waived inspection requirements for key programs like the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP).
Log your cleanup e orts. Producers should maintain a log documenting the hours of labor spent working on cleanup, the type of equipment used for debris removal, and hours running that equipment. Keep copies of any paid receipts or bills for supplies, equipment rentals, or hired labor.
FARMLAND DAMAGE ASSISTANCE
Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) provides funding and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to restore farmland damaged by natural disasters. It covers a broad range
Hoop house blown over by Hurricane Helene at Green Toe Ground farm in Burnsville, NC.
of repair activities and is one of the most widely used by farmers in RAFI’s network. ECP covers activities like surface debris removal; fence restoration and replacement; sediment removal, incorporation, grading, shaping, and leveling; tree, root, and stump removal; roads, bridges, and culverts necessary to facilitate forest restoration; burning of woody debris; and vegetation removal. Signups for ECP have been extended through June 1, 2025, for producers impacted by Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton, and requirements for onsite inspections and prior approval for certain cleanup activities have been waived.
Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) assists eligible owners of nonindustrial private forestland to restore the land by removing debris, repairing forestland roads, and replacing fencing. FSA has authorized extended signups for the program through June 1, 2025, for the states impacted by the hurricanes.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), run by NRCS, helps producers plan and implement conservation practices on disasterimpacted lands. The practices should address immediate soil erosion protection, including minimizing noxious and invasive plant proliferation and protecting water quality. EQIP can also cover activities like restoring livestock infrastructure necessary for grazing management, emergency animal mortality management, and debris removal.
Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) helps communities address watershed impairments that pose an imminent hazard to life and property caused by natural disasters. EWP covers removing debris from stream channels, road culverts, and bridges; reshaping and protecting eroded banks; correcting damaged drainage facilities; repairing levees and structures; reseeding damaged areas; and relocating people out of hazard-prone areas. EWP participation is only possible through an eligible
project sponsor who acts as the fiscal agent for the proposed project. Eligible sponsors can be cities, counties, towns, conservation districts, or federally recognized Native American tribes or tribal organizations. NRCS may cover up to 75% or 90% of the cost of construction of emergency measures in limited-resource areas. The remaining balance (25% or 10%) must come from local sources and can be cash or in-kind services.
LIVESTOCK ASSISTANCE
Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses due to drought or fire on land that is native or improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover, or land that is planted specifically for grazing.
Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) offers benefits to producers who are livestock owners and contract growers who experienced livestock deaths above normal mortality caused by eligible loss conditions such as adverse weather. Producers who are contract growers of poultry, swine, or other confinement livestock with an ownership share or a financial interest in the livestock lost are eligible for LIP. During recent hurricanes, FSA issued guidance to county committees and local staff to allow maximum flexibility in determining acceptable loss documentation.
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP) assists with grazing losses due to hurricanes and flooding on affected acres. This covers up to 150 days of grazing for all non-federally managed land. ELAP aids with purchased and produced feed losses due to hurricanes, such as hay bales, stacked hay, corn, silage, etc. Feed that was purchased above normal pricing is also eligible for ELAP assistance. ELAP assistance is based on the value of the acres lost and the number of livestock a producer had at the time of the loss due
to the disaster. Authorization for water hauling assistance is also available to producers when costs associated with the task are above normal cost.
CROP AND PLANT ASSISTANCE
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) provides financial support to producers of noninsurable crops to protect their crops against natural disasters that may result in lower yields or crop losses or that prevent crop planting. Producers must have NAP coverage before the crop’s sales closing date.
Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provides financial cost-share assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant and/or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes, and vines lost by natural disasters. TAP financial assistance is provided to replace damaged trees, bushes, and vines and bring the land back into production once the producer has restored their land to pre-disaster condition.
This list summarizes some of the most commonly utilized assistance programs but is not comprehensive. Check RAFI’s website for updated details on available programs and their eligibility requirements.
Recovering from a disaster is no simple task, but RAFI’s technical assistance team is committed to helping producers restore “normalcy” as best possible. Please reach out to RAFI’s Farmer Crisis Hotline at 866.586.6746.
Learn more about these programs at RAFI’s Navigating Disaster Assistance for Farmers hub at the QR code above.
TEIARA TURNER serves as RAFI’s Farm Services Director, overseeing various farmer-serving programs. In 2022, she earned a Masters of Organizational Communication from Queens University of Charlotte and a Nonprofit Professional Certification from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. Tee is passionate about learning the inner workings of the agriculture sector and how creating sustainability in this arena can help alleviate food insecurity.
Backpack
by Kira Bursky
KIRA BURSKY is a filmmaker, screenwriter, and artist from Asheville, North Carolina. This drawing is part of a series she created in response to Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on her hometown. Bursky dedicates these artworks “to all those affected by Hurricane Helene and those who have gone through other experiences that have shaken up the world they know.”
