Living Roots - Spring 2024 - Issue 4

RAFI’S MAGAZINE FOR FARMERS AND FARMER ADVOCATES

SPRING 2024

rooted in STRENGTH Women of the Land

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FOOD, LAND & sACRED STORIES 2024 COME TO THE TABLE CONFERENCE

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

20+ WORKSHOPS

CIVIC & CHURCH PARTNERSHIPS RACIAL EQUITY IN THE FOOD SYSTEM AGRICULTURE & FARMING

©

REGISTRATION BEGINS JUNE 3, 2024 BIT.LY/CTTT2024

(TOP) Cultural anthropologist, nonprofit leader, and documentary director Gail Myers and (LOWER) Native agricultural and food systems leader A-dae Romero-Briones

ATTENDEES, SPONSORS, AND EXHIBITORS MAY REGISTER BEGINNING JUNE 3, 2024.

SCHOLARSHIPS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO ASSIST WITH REGISTRATION.

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contents

livingroots™ SPRING 2024

RAFI’S MAGAZINE FOR FARMERS AND FARMER ADVOCATES

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3 Errol Chichester at his Ecodreads Farm in St. Croix, USVI.

VERA FABIAN plants seeds in anticipation of the 2024 growing season at her family farm in Cedar Grove, NC.

departments 3

Farmer’s Connection

24 Q & A 26 Field Notes 28 Rural Reflections

features 8

Climate’s Toll on Agriculture An Overview from the NCA5

12 Rooted in Strength

20 Agricultural Market Channels 101 Navigating the Path to Farming Success

Women of the Land

16 The Eldests Stories of Economies

Front Cover: Sekayi Muhammad, One Meal A Day Farms, Jackson, NC. Back Cover: Sekayi Muhammad’s Ayam Cemani chicken is one of four chicken breeds with black internal organs and bones.

PHOTOS BY JOE PELLEGRINO

RAFI P.O. Box 640 Pittsboro, NC 27312 Phone: 919.542.1396 Farmer Hotline: 866.586.6746 livingroots@rafiusa.org rafiusa.org SCAN here for a free subscription to Living Roots

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livingroots™ MAGA ZIN E

Executive Editor Edna Rodriguez Managing Editor Beth Andrachick Hauptle

Kavita Koppa Margaret Krome-Lukens Lisa Misch Justine Post Photographer Joe Pellegrino Staff Contributors Jaimie McGirt Lisa Misch Justine Post Angel Woodrum Proofreaders Matthew Adkins Kara Hoving Mo Murrie Graphic Designer Despard Design

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 2023 Platinum GuideStar Exchange Seal and the sixth consecutive 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. © Rural Advancement Foundation

International - USA (RAFI) Email: livingroots@rafiusa.org Web: rafiusa.org Union Label

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Dear Living Roots Readers, With the arrival of spring all around, I’m excited to share this new issue of Living Roots which highlights some recent RAFI moments and shares some insights that validate the significance of our work and illuminate the path forward.

We launched our new strategic plan in January, a collective effort by the RAFI board and staff. Serving as a guiding star for our direction and aspirations, this plan focuses on the urgent issues we face today, builds upon the achievements of our previous plan, and makes thoughtful adjustments to reflect our deepening commitment to climate-focused initiatives. The plan also reinforces our ongoing dedication to equity and strengthening farm viability.

In this issue, we merge global insights with local impact. Earlier this year, I was pleased to represent RAFI at a USDA event at the White House with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and others, where I provided direct input on issues that will shape the future of our industry. We also highlight our journey to the Oxford Real Farming Conference in January, explore the pivotal roles of female farmers, and share a special piece by A-dae Romero-Briones, a keynote speaker at our upcoming Come to the Table Conference Sept. 30 - Oct. 1.

We aim to inform, inspire, and empower you to implement positive changes in your farming practices. Together, we can create a sustainable and fair future for agriculture. Thank you for your support.

Warm regards,

Edna Rodriguez Executive Director P.S. Please share Living Roots with fellow farmers and invite them to sign up for a complimentary subscription.

HILLARY GRAVES/CHATHAM MAGAZINE

Editorial Team

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farmer’s

connection news/resources/events

Royce Creque (Greenridge Guavaberry Farm LLC, St. Thomas, USVI) and RAFI Farmer Outreach Manager Carolina Alzate Gouzy.

RAFI STAFF

Farming Resilience on the Islands

RAFI’S WORK HAS historically focused on serving farmers who face chal-

lenges accessing resources. Over the last few years, we have advanced this work to support a new region: U.S. Caribbean Territories. This has included extending our Farmers of Color Network (FOCN) grant opportunities, offering in-depth technical assistance, and advocating for policy issues specific to the Caribbean region within the Farm Bill. Our strong partnerships with Alliance for Agriculture (AFA) in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Good Food (VIGF) in the U.S. Virgin Islands are making this work possible.

A group of RAFI staff traveled to Puerto Rico (PR) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) recently to deepen our understanding of challenges in the region.

First, we visited farmers who received RAFI funding for on-farm infrastructure projects to see their progress and hear their stories. Second, we brought together a team of in-region NRCS (USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service) technical support providers and RAFI staff to CO NTI N UE D ON PAG E 7

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farmer’s connection

(L-R) In Washington, DC: Edna Rodriguez, Executive Director, RAFI; Michelle Hughes, Co-Executive Director, National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC); and Vanessa Garcia Polanco, Policy Campaigns Co-Director, NYFC.

Equitable Farming Future ON JANUARY 31, 2024, RAFI Execu-

tive Director Edna Rodriguez joined a contingent of 30 stakeholders at the White House for a “White House and USDA Discussion on Advancing Equity and Opportunity in Agriculture.” This discussion focused on “President Biden’s efforts to ensure all farmers have the tools they need to succeed and thrive, including fair and equitable access to USDA programs and services.”

White House staff provided updates on the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to uphold civil rights and promote equity. U.S. Secretary of

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Agriculture Tom Vilsack then shared details on USDA’s efforts in “promoting equity, supporting family farmers and ranchers, and ensuring that underserved groups and rural communities have access to critical resources.”

The discussion centered around the barriers smaller-scale farmers face when attempting to secure funding from USDA’s farm and conservation programs; the need to grow a more diverse group of young people entering agricultural professions; the urgency for producers of all types to sit together at the table; and the importance of addressing the unique

constraints that state- or countybased policies create for Tribal farmers.

Reflecting upon the meeting, Rodriguez remarked that she “appreciated the chance to hear directly from the Administration and USDA leadership about their progress in advancing equity within the Agency.

I also was pleased to have the opportunity to communicate suggestions and responses in real time during the meeting with USDA’s leadership staff to continue our discussions regarding program barriers and potential improvements.”

RAFI STAFF

Edna Rodriguez at White House Agriculture Talk

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SCAN to learn more about RAFI’s Farmers of Color Network, serving BIPOC farmers in the Southeast U.S. and Caribbean Territories.

RAFI’S MAGAZINE FOR FARMERS AND FARMER ADVOCATES

(C-R): RAFI Farmers of Color Network members Linda and Tom Savage discuss marketing options with a (L) guest at the event.

FALL 2023

RAFI Staff Out and About

harvesting

HOPE

The Farm and Faith Partnerships Project

APRIL 25

Atlanta, GA Faith, Food & Land*

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BETH ANDRACHICK HAUPTLE

Living Roots: Your Magazine, Your Voice This fall we asked Living Roots readers what they thought about the magazine and to share ideas for future issues.

We were so gratified by your responses and pleased that you like Living Roots.

We were excited to see that 79% of you read “most” or “all” of the magazine and a third of you read “all” of it. Another finding we were happy about — and one we had plenty of anecdotal information on — was that a full 50% prefer or need to read this information in a printed format rather than on a screen. And finally, after reading the magazine, 43% said they visited the RAFI website; 40% saved the magazine; and 34% sought out more information about USDA programs.

And for the many of you who said you would like more content about women in farming, we heard you! Check out “Women of the Land,” starting on page 12. Thank you for responding to the survey, and please always feel free to share ideas for the magazine with us!

Durham, NC Summer Institute for Reconciliation: Duke Divinity MAY 30

Canton, NC Listening & Sharing Sacred Stories*

and prime the pump for an ongoing fruitful relationship.

APRIL 29 - MAY 2

New Faces, Fresh Perspectives: RAFI’s Latest Board Additions

Charleston, WV National Farm Viability Conference APRIL 29 - MAY 2

Albuquerque, NM HEAL Summit JULY 30-31

Boone, NC Carolina Meat Conference *RAFI hosted event

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Farmer-Buyer Connect Event On February 26, 2024, farmers and potential buyers met together at the Mystic Farm and Distilling Company in Durham, NC, for a flavorful meal (Zimbabwean/Southern hybrid cooking, catered

by Zweli’s in Durham) and productive networking session.

These kinds of events, hosted

by RAFI’s Farmers of Color Network for its members, give farmers and buyers the opportunity to make contact, have an initial conversation about products and needs,

RAFI welcomes two new board members: Rev. Dr. Lacey Brown and Dr. Ivette Ruiz.

The Reverend Doctor Lacey Brown joined Community United Church of Christ, Raleigh, as Senior Minister in 2020. She earned her B.A. from Flagler College and a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary. Ordained in 2014 in Atlanta, she served Central Congregational UCC there before moving to Raleigh.

Rev. Brown played a key role in the creation of the Wake County Farm & Faith Partnerships Project in 2021, a RAFI Come to the Table project. She and her church have been instrumental in its ongoing success, which connects farmers and congregations to create mutually beneficial economic partnerships.

Dr. Ivette Ruiz was inspired to create Healing by Growing Farms as a space centering healing for trauma survivors after she suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2020.

Her injury caused prolonged PCS (Post-Concussion Syndrome), and ever since she has experienced discrimination, unemployment, and a lack of proper medical care.

Her salvation was working in her home gardens, tending to her chickens, and helping those impacted by COVID-19.

As a Latinx third-generation

(L) Dr. Ivette Ruiz and (R) Rev. Dr. Lacey Brown

beginning farmer and firstgeneration doctoral graduate, Dr. Ruiz wants to use her knowledge and experiences to help others experiencing similar hardships.

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farmer’s connection

Farming Forward Navigating NRCS Opportunities

Are you setting new goals for the farm? Are you aiming for on-farm infrastructure improvements and/or resource-conserving strategies?

With a fall and winter full of educational farm events, maybe you have moved into 2024 with new knowledge of innovative farm practices but lack sufficient funds to carry out these new projects.

You may be surprised by how USDA’s NRCS program could help you accomplish these goals — including fencing improvements for a new or improved rotational grazing system, tree or shrub planting, cover crops, irrigation structures, and more. Depending on your state, NRCS covers roughly 170 conservation practices for various land uses and offers financial “cost-

share” assistance to help you afford improvements to current challenge areas. NRCS may also provide financial incentives to help you continue existing conservation work on farm and/or non-industrial forest land. When these practices are installed and managed on your land, you can achieve the USDA’s intended conservation benefits and meet your overall farm goals in the years ahead.

SCAN To learn more about NRCS ranking dates.

Some Southeast states have upcoming ranking deadlines for financial assistance, and because there is still Inflation Reduction Act funding for climatesmart specific practices, 2024 presents a significant opportunity to apply for financial assistance. All posted ranking dates are listed on RAFI’s website where you can also read more about what the ranking dates mean, how to become eligible for NRCS progrms, and what to expect throughout the process. Access more information at the QR code above.

—Jaimie McGirt AREA

CSP DEADLINE

ALABAMA

APRIL 8, 2024

D.C.

APRIL 19, 2024

KENTUCKY

APRIL 21, 2024

LOUISIANA

APRIL 26, 2024*

MARYLAND

MAY 24, 2024

MISSOURI

JUNE 14, 2024

Season extension tunnels and hoop houses line the property of Ten Mothers Farm in Cedar Grove, NC. (See “Rooted in Strength” on page 12 to learn more about Ten Mothers Farm.)

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JOE PELLEGRINO

*Louisiana’s deadline for EQIP is also April 26, 2024.

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Ms. Benita Martin and RAFI Executive Director, Edna Rodriguez, at an overlook at Bordeaux Farmers Market in St. Thomas.

RAFI STAFF

CO N T IN U E D F ROM PAGE 3

brainstorm with farmers on their farms about their most pressing conservation issues, as well as to develop technical support plans to help them reach their goals. Third, we laid the groundwork for a new land access project RAFI will launch in both territories later this year. And finally, we met and strengthened our relationships with community-based organizations and USDA staff within the territories.

We set an ambitious goal of visiting eight FOCN infrastructure grantees.

We witnessed many innovative projects, a number of which reinforced climate-resilient practices. As RAFI staff member Jaimie McGirt recounts, “Not only did we connect with each farmer about their project, but we also discussed how they might get support for their conservation plan enhancements from NRCS programs like EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) and CSP (Conservation Stewardship Program).”

Other highlights of the PR trip included a second visit to Camposofia, a rural education project located in Utuado, that offers an economi-

cally accessible educational option for children of farmers. While there, we presented and co-hosted a Planning Your Farm conference with Para la Naturaleza and met with FSA Puerto Rico Director Wanda Pérez. RAFI staff member Carolina Alzate Gouzy noted that RAFI has helped more than 30 Puerto Rican farmers apply for the FSA Emergency Relief Program (ERP).

“During the visit to FSA offices, Ms. Pérez gave an update on how the ERP application review process was going. Having this open line of communication to discuss farmer-specific case issues allows us to work toward our goal of increasing engagement and trust between farmers and their local USDA offices,” said Alzate Gouzy.

A few weeks later, RAFI staff traveled to the USVI to visit its three islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. Like the PR trip, we visited FOCN infrastructure grantees and dove deeper into NRCS technical assistance cases. USVI NRCS agent, Rudy O’Reilly, Jr., and Caribbean NRCS Area Director, Luis Cruz-Arroyo, joined RAFI and VIGF technical assistance provider Nicole Pacheco on site visits

to farms with several NRCS conservation projects. “These opportunities to bring farmers, NRCS staff, and technical assistance providers all together are invaluable for identifying where NRCS programs and processes are acting as barriers, and for helping farmers implement conservation practices,” said McGirt. “By all working together, we were able to create actionable technical assistance plans that will have a meaningful impact on island farmers.”

Finally, the trip also helped us gain a deeper understanding of the challenges local farmers face in securing and maintaining access to farmland.

In 2024, RAFI will launch a five-year project focused on increasing underserved farmers’ access to land in NC, FL, PR, and USVI. To help us prepare for this project, we spoke with several stakeholders in USVI to better understand their land access challenges, including USVI Agricultural Commissioner, Dr. Louis Petersen, and representatives from a community land trust, St. Jan Co. RAFI staff member Kavita Koppa reflected on a tour of farms of St. Thomas led by Ms. Benita Martin of We Grow Food Inc., saying, “The tour was a great insight into the barriers that exist to accessing land on St. Thomas. Land is not only hard to reach and lacking basic infrastructure, but the policies around land tenure often stand in conflict with the cultural understanding of what land means to those farming it.”

The role of tourism in the local food economy also plays a complicated role in land access and farm viability, creating essential marketing channels while at the same time contributing to higher expenses and competition for resources. Look for information about RAFI’s Land Access project later this year.

—Lisa Misch

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CLIMATE’S TOLL ON AGRICULTURE An Overview from the NCA5

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he Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) is the U.S. Government’s preeminent report on climate change impacts, risks, and responses. It is a congressionally mandated interagency effort that provides the scientific foundation to support informed decision-making across the U.S. Released on November 14, 2023, it was assembled by teams of researchers from a range of climate change specialties and represents a synthesis of current research. As those following developments in agriculture know, climate impacts have become increasingly apparent since the fourth assessment was published in 2018.

This summary by Cathy Day, Ph.D., prioritizes aspects of 8

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the report most relevant to agriculture, presenting a national overview. Specific findings for the Southeast U.S. and Caribbean Territories have been highlighted here to reflect RAFI’s service area. This article was excerpted and reprinted with permission from the author and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC).

While the NCA5 covers a lot of ground in several chapters, the primary message is that the risks to agricultural production are rising and will continue to rise as a result of climate change. The authors rank this evaluation as “very likely” with “very high confidence” of its accuracy. Despite the challenges ahead, there are substantial reasons for optimism, both in the proposed routes to emissions reductions and in the trans-

ISTOCK.COM/OTICKI

BY CATHY DAY

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USDA plant hardiness zones will continue to shift as temperatures continue to rise.

Species and varieties that once functioned well in a given area may no longer be adapted to the warmer temperatures.

formation toward increasingly robust farming systems.

The Physical Science Some of the clearest reasons for concern about impacts on agriculture are laid out in the chapter on water. For example, increasing aridity in the Southwest and increasingly wet conditions throughout the northeast regions of the country — from the Midwest through New England — are likely to challenge crop and livestock production. Drought and torrential rain will frequently reduce productivity in all regions.

Despite wetter conditions in parts of the country, researchers expect higher temperatures to reduce overall soil moisture in most regions. Climatic water deficit, a measure of the shortfall of water available for plants to meet their needs, gives an overall sense of the country’s water outlook. Particularly acute deficits are expected in much of the country west of the 100th meridian (a rough dividing line between the more humid eastern part of the country and the arid western part — from North Dakota through Texas).

Along with these changes, USDA plant hardiness zones will continue to shift as temperatures continue to rise. Species and varieties that once functioned well in a given area may no longer be adapted to the warmer temperatures they experience as the climate changes.

The agriculture chapter notes that all dimensions of food security will be affected by climate change and that crop insurance costs have already risen in response to increased losses.

Total Factor Productivity (TFP) is a measure used in economics to gauge the efficiency and effectiveness with which all inputs are turned into outputs in the production process. In agriculture,

despite a steady growth since 1948 (primarily because of technological changes), the climate crisis has already dampened TFP growth, and agricultural TFP is expected to decline to pre-1980 levels by 2050 unless adaptation measures adequately respond.

Because of increased crop specialization in the Midwest, TFP is more sensitive to increasing summer temperatures and moisture deficits. In short, much of the current system is more susceptible to climate impacts because of current monocultural practices.

Focus on Solutions Although there are clear negative impacts for agriculture, the agriculture chapter effectively lays out the ways in which agriculture can respond constructively to increasing challenges.

The authors identify the continued risks presented by “excessive tillage, overgrazing, and overreliance on agrochemicals.”

In response, the chapter centers agroecological solutions like enhanced soil health and diversified landscapes. This focus represents a noticeable shift from the Fourth Assessment, where “climate-smart” solutions focused on improved technologies (e.g., high-efficiency irrigation and genetic modification) rather than systems approaches.

However, solutions to livestock methane focus on feed supplements and energy capture from liquid manure systems, rather than grazing systems. The authors do not discuss the advantages of highly managed pasture carbon sequestration outweighing the emissions of associated livestock. So, unfortunately, the increased systems approach of the chapter is not applied across all agricultural issues. On the other hand, the chapter’s assessment of alternative plant proteins is more measured, noting their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also identifying the clear downsides in terms of increased needs for infrastructure and energy.

Strong Environmental Justice Discussions Another way in which NCA5 represents an advancement upon NCA4 is its strong discussions around environmental justice.

The agriculture chapter’s Key Message 2, “Climate Change Disrupts Our Food System in Uneven Ways,” puts worsening heat stress among farm workers front and center. The authors also note ongoing and increasing “disruptions to the ability of subsistence-based peoples to access food through hunting, fishing, and foraging.” In addition to laying out how R A F IUSA .O RG

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The risks to agricultural production are rising and will continue to rise as a result of climate change. social and economic factors make some segments of society more vulnerable, the chapter also demonstrates how many of the same populations are developing their own solutions.

Beyond the agriculture chapter, each of the regional chapters also puts a spotlight on both the inequities built into U.S. systems and on how overburdened communities are identifying and building out unique solutions.

communities and on lower-resourced small-acreage farms is among the issues the chapter identifies as important for the Southeast to resolve.

Southeast The challenges highlighted for the Southeast are sea level rise and consequent saltwater intrusion (a notable issue in states like North Carolina), as well as the Southeast’s increasing droughts. Further, the authors note the health and livelihood impacts on outdoor workers because of rising heat. The Southeast is one of the regions most affected by heat waves. Hurricanes also present unique challenges, as seen with Hurricane Florence, which resulted in heavy flooding that left parts of the region covered in hog waste.

The disproportionate impact of the climate crisis on BIPOC

Caribbean The Caribbean chapter focuses on the U.S., including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Daily average temperatures in the region are increasing. Puerto Rico has no clear trend in rainfall except for an overall annual reduction by the end of this century and more drought. Other risks include increasing tropical cyclones and sea level rise.

Unfortunately, the exclusion of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands from many data collection processes limits the ability of decision-makers in the region to understand and adapt to climate change. Nonetheless, more extreme weather and the region’s high dependence on imported food (80% for Puerto Rico, 90% for the USVI) will leave the area increasingly vulnerable. High crop losses from recent hurricanes, including Maria in 2017, resulted not

BILLION-DOLLAR DISASTERS IN THE SOUTHEAST

INEQUITABLE HEAT BURDEN

THE SOUTHEAST frequently experiences costly weatherrelated disasters, which are worsened by climate change. The map shows NOAA billion-dollar disasters by state during 1980– 2022 in the Southeast. The map adds up billion-dollar events for each state affected (i.e., it does not mean that each state shown suffered at least $1 billion in losses for each event).

PROJECTED INCREASES in heat extremes disproportionately affect communities of color. Present-day inequities will be amplified by the increased threat of extreme heat in the future. The map shows the projected increase in the number of extreme heat days (maximum temperature at or above 95°F) in 2050 relative to 1991–2020 under a high scenario.

To read the full report and see attributions and credits, scan the QR code on opposite page.

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SCAN

to read the full NCA5 report

only from direct impacts from the storms but also from related energy, telecommunications, and water supply outages along with damage to roads and irrigation systems.

Higher temperatures can stress both crops and livestock.

In fact, livestock are more vulnerable than they might be because many breeds have been imported from the U.S. mainland and are more adapted to mainland conditions.

Crop insurance, such as that provided by the Puerto Rico Crop Insurance Corporation (PRCIC), offers protection. However, 98% of PRCIC payouts in the last decade were from hurricanes, highlighting the steep adaptive needs presented by storms. In addition, the program does not cover the growing challenge of drought conditions.

Conclusion The climate challenges that U.S. agriculture faces are steep and are expected to rise if emissions continue their current trajectory. However, communities around the country are recognizing their own role in reducing emissions and adapting

to changes. As recognition of the value of Indigenous, Tribal, and other traditional knowledge systems improves, and as respect for data and decision sovereignty of those groups increases, new solutions may continue to emerge into the larger consciousness that may help with many of the challenges of agriculture.

Adaptation and community co-production of knowledge are important and must be valued. Such work will provide improved food security and livelihood stability in the future. However, the most important change will continue to be the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Agriculture, along with dozens of other forms of work, must continue to push hard to reduce its nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide emissions through equitable means that provide the best possible ecosystem and community outcomes across the country.

DR. CATHY DAY is a consultant on climate change and agricultural

policy based in Albuquerque, NM.

DROUGHTS AND BLACK FARMERS IN THE SOUTHEAST

PROJECTED CHANGES IN AGRICULTURAL YIELDS UNDER UNMITIGATED CLIMATE CHANGE

THE SOUTHEAST’S Black farmers face disproportionate weather and climate risks. In the Southeast, areas with a higher number of drought events from 2000 through 2019 often overlapped with counties that are home to relatively higher proportions of Black producers, as identified in the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture. The Southeast has the highest proportion of Black producers when compared to any other National Climate Assessment region, highlighting how disparities in climate risks require innovation and equitable adaptation, especially for those producers who have smaller operations and fewer resources to adopt new technologies.

AGRICULTURAL YIELDS are expected to decrease under very high warming. Agricultural yields (area-weighted average for corn, wheat, soybeans, and cotton) in the Southeast are expected to decrease due to the warmer climate in the future by 2099 under a very high scenario (RCP8.5). Some areas, however, may see yield increases due to less severe climate changes in these places, as well as limited impacts due to sea level rise and tropical storm damage. Decreases in crop yield are expected to negatively impact regional and national food supplies while threatening agricultural lifestyles and traditions.

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rooted in

STRENGTH Women of the Land

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hroughout the ages and within different cultural contexts, women’s roles in agriculture have been as unique and varied as the women themselves. Women have always farmed, but in today’s changing world, more and more are taking on the mantle for the first time.

A recent analysis of farmers in RAFI’s database demonstrates this trend: of all farmers, 69% are “beginning farmers,” which by USDA’s definition means “operating a farm for less

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than 10 years.” But looking at just female farmers, 80% of them meet the beginning farmer criteria.

In an effort to better understand the motivations, challenges, visions, and joys that are common threads for female farmers, RAFI staff members Jaimie McGirt and Carolina Alzate Gouzy talked with six different farmers. In a country where the advancement of modern agriculture is traditionally dominated by men, a renewed narrative is being woven by women, who are not just farming crops but also cultivating change.

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“There isn’t a job on the farm I can’t do because I’m a woman.”

— Sekayi Muhammad, One Meal a Day Farms, Jackson, NC

Sekayi Muhammad and her husband Brandon moved to Jackson, NC from eastern PA and started One Meal A Day Farms. He brought with him experience gained while working at Amish dairy farms, but it didn’t take long for Muhammad to discover that their new dairy farm would need to involve her and the entire family. Hesitant at first, but inspired by her two daughters’ keen interest in animals, Muhammad dove in and found that she too felt especially attuned to livestock.

“Once I got a Jersey, I couldn’t help but love them … I feel their energy. I pick up on certain things — things my husband would miss,” she noted. Once she recognized this connection, Muhammad jumped into daily chores, managed the farm, and dedicated herself to mastering regenerative grazing. She even traveled to Wisconsin for the World Dairy Expo. “I didn’t see a single other Black dairy farmer there, but I didn’t feel out

of place. I know how to navigate these spaces from all of my past experiences,” she shared. On being a woman in agriculture, Muhammad puts it plainly: “There isn’t a job on the farm I can’t do because I’m a woman.”

Xochitl Bervera of Near Futures Farms and Water is Life Oysters in Apalachicola, FL, asserts that burgeoning diversity within the farming sector contributes to a richer, more resilient agricultural landscape. Bervera was inspired by Leah Penniman’s work, which focuses on Black and Indigenous traditions and points to growing food as part of rebuilding broken relationships with the earth. She subsequently trained at Soul Fire Farm and also took inspiration from her brother’s family farm, La Granja Autosustentable Bervera Cruz, located across the Gulf in Tabasco, Mexico. She also learned from the readings of Robin Wall Kimmerer (of the Citizen Potawatomi

Shaisa Soto gives her children, Sol Micael Pérez Soto and Carib Eyerí Pérez Soto, planting tips; Sekayi Muhammad of One Meal A Day Farm with her daughter (photo Joe Pellegrino); Yanna Muriel with Mwezi Bundi Wandu Profit (photo Michelle Esparza).

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Nation) and Devon Mihesuah (a Choctaw historian), both of whom write about Indigenous food pathways and rebuilding the right relationship to the land through tending to food.

At first, Bervera and her family grew vegetables and herbs.

Then, during the pandemic, they added fruit trees, berry bushes, and chickens for eggs — but something else was piquing Bervera’s curiosity.

Enter oysters. Bervera saw potential in the oyster farming business, even though aquaculture was not common in her neck of the woods at the time. She took a course one year, and the next, she and her partner put their first oyster babies into a water column, launching Water is Life Oysters.

Bervera believes that “we need more women who understand that we are farming as we are today because we are looking seven generations out — to our future generations — and realize we must rebuild our relationship with the water and the earth, learn to grow food for ourselves and our communities, and work in such a way that restores and revives our natural resources and allies.”

Vera Fabian, co-founder of Ten Mothers Farm in Cedar Grove, NC, along with her husband Gordon Jenkins, also set out to restore and revive resources, producing food in a way that is good for people and good for the soil. Fabian started her journey into agriculture inspired by the culinary luminaries she once worked for: Andrea Reusing of Lantern (Chapel Hill, NC) and Alice Waters of Chez Panisse (Berkeley, CA).

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Equally pivotal to her journey were other recognized leaders who are known for their pioneering work in organic and notill production. Fabian’s story is a testament to the profound influence of mentorship and the inspiration drawn from those who have expertly navigated the agricultural and food landscape before her.

Starting in 2016 on leased land with seed money from 34 CSA “share” members, Ten Mothers Farm has since developed into a productive first-time operation that grows for 280 families from only one acre of vegetable beds. Operating in a no-tractor, no-till style and laboring only by hand, Fabian, Jenkins, and their team maintain permanent beds amended with lots of compost. “We farm one acre very intensively. Not tilling feels like the simplest and most productive way to farm at this scale.” Vera also attributes their success to collaboration, a unique strength that she believes women bring to the field in abundance: “I think we’re much more willing to admit we can’t do everything on our own and therefore find ways we can collaborate to make farming more livable in the long run.”

Dilora G. González Morales embarked on a journey into agroecology in response to food accessibility challenges on her home island of Puerto Rico. “Coming from Puerto Rico [which imports more than 80% of its food from the mainland U.S.], there was a clear challenge of access to quality ingredients,” González says. She and her partner Javi — inspired by an agroecology course taught by farmers to farmers —

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“I think we’re much more willing to admit we can’t do everything on our own and therefore find ways we can collaborate to make farming more livable in the long run.”

— Vera Fabian, Ten Mothers Farms, Cedar Grove, NC

transformed his grandfather’s abandoned farm into a beacon of sustainability, called Finca Pueblo Nuevo. González and her family grow greens and vegetables, as well as valueadded fermented products such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and hot sauce.

She shares that her biggest inspiration is her children.

Xochitl Bervera riding “When we first knew we were on Florida’s waters near Water is Life going to be parents, it made Oysters farm; Vera everything we were doing Fabian harvesting at Ten Mothers make a lot more sense. Giving Farm (photo Joe the children a more meanPellegrino); Dilora ingful life, raising them with González selling at the farmers market in a conscious background, in Placita Roosevelt, PR. contact with nature, and away from invasive technology, has been one of the biggest blessings. They give me strength, determination, and reaffirmation of the life we chose. A life that comes with a lot of work and challenges, but in the end, it’s all worth it!”

González also speaks to the ancestral role of women in agriculture, “Our women ancestors were farmers, deeply connected to Mother Earth. We are guardians of the seeds, the water, and the land. We bring sensibility and perseverance to the field, perpetuating life in all its forms.”

Yanna Muriel, an ecological farmer in Utuado, Puerto Rico, brings this perspective of connection as well, having begun her agricultural journey as a child, deeply influenced by her mother and an inspiring school program. She draws strength from pioneering figures in the sustainable farming movement and the resilience of women she observes working the land. “Women have a different perspective than men and their contributions are particularly transformative for local economies, community-centric approaches, health, education, and advocacy. We see that women’s involvement in farming fosters social, economic, and environmental sustainability,” Muriel notes. She also believes involving children in farming provides an opportunity for them to connect with nature and learn valuable lessons.

Muriel calls for improved access to female-friendly farming tools and machinery, more opportunities for women to enter decision-making roles, and better support for wom-

en’s multifaceted roles as caregivers and community leaders.

Shaisa Soto’s agricultural roots are also tied to her childhood in Puerto Rico. She recalls observing her grandparents’ cultivation methods and embracing these traditional farming practices. Women in her community, especially those practicing subsistence farming, have been a significant source of inspiration to her, cultivating whatever space is available to them and connecting with their environment and ancestral practices. Soto and her family grow shortcycle vegetables in winter, spring, and early summer, as well as fruit and medicinal, aromatic, and root vegetables year-round on their agroecological farm, Unitaria Común.

“Historically, women have played a central role in agriculture, particularly in subsistence farming across the Americas,” says Soto. Their contributions extend from sowing to harvesting to saving seeds for the next season. For Soto, this holistic approach embodies “the urgency to have healthy food, care, warmth, and perseverance.” Looking forward, she believes the future of women in agriculture hinges on stronger support networks, a societal shift towards shared caregiving responsibilities, and equitable access to resources.

The storytellers here share their experiences upholding traditions and leading innovation in land stewardship, collaboration, and economic impact. Women have always played a key role in agriculture, and more women with diverse personal and professional backgrounds are entering the field.

We know it’s also true that women producers have been marginalized, with fewer access to resources, fewer positions of power, and significant barriers to entry. Despite these roadblocks, RAFI bears witness to female farmers who continue to show up as leading voices in agriculture: educating at conferences, advocating at the U.S. Capitol, and improving female farmers’ access to resources.

These women don’t always receive the credit due to them — or even give themselves the credit they deserve.

Each farmer we spoke with — Seyaki, Xochitl, Vera, Dilora, Yanna, and Shaisa — first cited mentors, family members, and educational events as springboards for their farm ventures, before listing their own intelligence, ingenuity, and industriousness. We see how it takes all of the above, and at RAFI, we celebrate women as leaders in farming.

RAFI STAFF members Jaimie McGirt, Carolina Alzate Gouzy, Beth

Andrachick Hauptle, and Lisa Misch contributed to this story.

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THE ELDESTS

L

Stories of Economies

BY A-DAE ROMERO-BRIONES

SKY WOMAN

ong before the world was created, there was an island in the sky inhabited by sky people. One day a pregnant sky woman drops through a hole created by an uprooted tree and begins to fall for what seems like eternity. Coming out of the darkness, she eventually sees oceans.

The animals from this world congregate, trying to understand what they see in the sky.

A flock of birds is sent to help her. The birds catch her and gently guide her down onto the back of the Great Turtle. They bring mud from the bottom of the ocean and place it on Turtle’s back until solid earth begins to form and increase in size. Turtle’s back becomes Sky Woman’s home, and the plants she’s brought down with her from Skyworld, including tobacco and strawberries, are her medicine. She makes a life for herself and becomes the mother of Haudenosaunee life, as we know it today.

We all begin with a story. It is through story that we are connected, not only to each other, but also to our homes, to our lands, to our communities, to our people, to our hearts, to our past, and to our future grandchildren. It is the collection of stories that we are able to hear and witness that will make the whole of our lives and define the shape and character of our community, but also, through the stories, we share and tell and retell what will shape the whole 16

of our future. We organize our worldviews on the patterns of storytelling. The way we tell our stories sets our expectations and influences how we view our lives in relation to our world. Whether our characters are data points or monetary values represented by numbers or by animals and stars, the story is one of management and redistribution of resources, or, as many Indigenous people say, “life sources.” Stories help conceptualize what is possible.

First published in Nonprofit Quarterly Magazine 30, no. 2 (Summer 2023): 98–103. See bit.ly/TheEldests (case sensitive) for references and notes.

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PEXELS/MATTHIAS-BEHR

When we talk about economies, we are still telling a story.

In mainstream storytelling paradigms, there is always a need for a hero, usually one, and the idea that we can live happily ever after. The villains are named as the ones who set limits or barriers that should and will be overcome by heroes. In capitalism, land, plants, animal beings, people, places are replaced with numerical symbols that create a system of relationships that can be deciphered by understanding the numerical values and often the predetermined rules of engagement. Even

further complicated, these systems of numbers are then used to predict future stories using equations, interest rates, but all focused on continued growth, overcoming limitations, and barriers. We see this facet of Western storytelling reinforced in iconic stories like the American Dream — and even more stark, in current news reports of first-time billionaires and the ever epic quest for oil. The message: “There is always more.”

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WE HUMANS ARE ONLY PART OF THE STORY.

even when this leads to extinction of species, destruction of environments, and separation of community and people into more valuable and less valuable. The less valuable become areas of sacrifice. Entire neighborhoods and communities have become environmental waste zones in the quest for more wealth, space, and money.

Overconsumption, hyperconsumption, and, more recently, continued extraction despite constant calls for slowed development dominate conversations about global, national, regional, and even local economies. The constant need to drill or frack for more oil and find or colonize lands that remain “underdeveloped,” are a result of this fundamental focus on continued growth. No growth and absence are the barriers or limits that mark failure and failed economies.

As society continues operating under the cultural understanding of limitless growth, we are destroying the very sources that maintain life. Even more alarming, rather than hinder growth, we find ways to separate and continue consumption: people, life, communities have to become less valuable in order to extract from them. In our mainstream economic equations, we are in constant search to increase the low values and find ever more creative ways to extract value to continue building.

Mainstream economies avoid pauses or halts, because those are iconic markers of failure. The mainstream panics at the sign of failure. In more recent discourse around mainstream economies, there is a call for change reflected in conversations around “circular economies” or “responsive economies” or any number of callouts for a changed version of how mainstream society understands economy.

But before we change the equations at the base of mainstream economies, change the idea of limitless growth, we will need to change how we tell, and even listen to, stories. We will need to recognize the importance of, and embrace, absence that is followed by the practice of absence.

Many, if not all, Tribal creation stories recognize the importance of “absence.” This is often referred to as a “darkness” or “nothingness.” It is because of absence that emergence occurs. While Western economies focus on the light, the continued growth, “the absence” is critical in Indigenous understandings on how we manage economies. There is a place for absence. For nothing. To not consume. For frugalness. This part of the story is just as important because it establishes limits, ends, and the concept of exhaustion as part of natural and recurring cycles. Life sources or resources, if we are not mindful, can be exhausted.

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A HOPI STORY

The Creator gathered all of Creation and said: “I want to hide something from the humans until they are ready for it. It is the realization that they create their own reality.”

The eagle said, “Give it to me, I will take it to the moon.”

The Creator said, “No. One day they will go there and find it.”

The salmon said, “I will bury it on the bottom of the ocean.”

“No. They will go there too.”

The buffalo said, “I will bury it on the Great Plains.”

The Creator said, “They will cut into the skin of the Earth and find it even there.”

Grandmother Mole, who lives in the breast of Mother Earth, and who has no physical eyes but sees with spiritual eyes, said, “Put it inside of them.”

And the Creator said, “It is done.”

In the Hopi story, as with the Indigenous economies, there is recognition that we, presently, are part of the story — we are the economy. In mainstream economies, the economy is an external system that is controlled by markets, policy, and institutions outside of community, family, and individuals. In mainstream Western traditions, we are subject to the economy like we are subject to the weather. Yet in Indigenous stories, collectively, we are the story — we are the economy.

We influence the world, including life sources, all around us, because we are part of the equation as active participants in economic systems. Essentially, our collective actions, presence, and practice are a form of communication that influences the world around us — including economy, including weather.

In her article, “The Pendulum of Climate: A Hopi Story,” Monica Nuvamsa explains: Farming families work hard to prepare corn for storage for later use, and we are taught to keep at least four years of corn harvests in storage in case of drought or to prepare for major life events such as marriages, births, and ceremony. My household has not had a harvest in nearly three years. I follow the teachings I’ve learned and set aside seed for the next planting cycle, but in the past two years I’ve reduced my portion of seed each year, because the risk of loss in my community heirloom seed stock is too great for me … It is in these times that the teachings come forth and I begin to fully understand

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NASA

why we do this: why we save, why we work hard to have good storage for future years, and why we anticipate the years that may not produce a good harvest.

Nuvamsa is describing the practice of absence that influences how their life sources — seeds — are managed. Nuvamsa is a reflection of Hopi, Hopi people, and their stories. The Hopi stories center conversations, relationships, unique gifts that contribute to the whole, and more importantly, recognize places as important understandings — lessons with stories in and of themselves, places as opportunities to learn about our collective experience in that particular spot.

Places are characters in our stories in their own right.

Humans are not manipulators of economic or spiritual equations, but are only a small part of the dynamic interactions that occur around humans and the natural world. We humans are only part of the story. As told in both “Sky Woman” and “A Hopi Story,” humans are actually the least aware and gifted of life beings.

Additionally, there is a recognition that “the absence,” “the frugalness,” contains lessons, learnings, and behaviors that cultivate and protect life. There is a clear understanding that life has limits, not limits that should be overcome but rather recognized, acknowledged, and accounted for.

This fundamental understanding is the key difference between an Indigenous economy and Western capitalist economies.

Moreover, when you have many dynamic Indigenous economies interacting and engaging under the same understanding of limitations as strengths and not limitations as deficits, this is emergence and the creation of symbiotic ideas and environments. Connections among Indigenous communities are valuable because they are not just economically beneficial but also because there is an accountability of shared protection of limits and recognition that each community is responsible

for the spatial and regional limitations. These connections and understandings are so strong that even through decades after what Anishinaabe scholar Kyle Whyte calls “industrial settler campaigns” that intentionally weakened Indigenous economy, self-governance, and self-determination, there are visible intense material, cultural, and social connections that continue to connect communities. Indigenous trade routes are invisible connections forged over generations, leaving rivulets in the earth between Tribal communities that still very much exist today. We were economic pollinators who have left their evidence in cultural practice in the present.

These connections and practices are subtle reminders of our responsibilities to each other, our Tribal communities, and the trade items that found their way from village to village, region to region, and continent to continent.

This is the essence of an Indigenous economy: relationship and community — not just human community — to function in balance. It is community, relationship, and emergence that have value. Ironically, it is community, relationships, and emergence that are rare and much harder to numerically quantify in Western capitalism. Indigenous economy is humbleness, frugalness, and it protects limits. The lessons in Indigenous storytelling, as in Indigenous economies, are clear, important, and practiced: the pauses, the silence, and the stillness are also part of the story; it is the dark stillness that precedes emergence.

A-DAE ROMERO-BRIONES (Cochiti/Kiowa) is the director of pro-

grams, Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative at the First Nations Development Institute, and co founder and former executive director of Cochiti Youth Experience, New Mexico. Formerly, Romero-Briones was the director of community development for Pūlama Lāna’i, Hawai’i. She is one of the keynote speakers at RAFI’s 2024 Come to the Table conference.

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Agricultural Market Channels 101 Navigating the Path to Farming Success • by Angel Woodrum

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CSA farmers often serve as frontline educators to the realities of eating local and the importance of supporting farmers directly.

F

arming is hard. Planning, planting, harvesting, pest management, weed control, disease prevention — all on top of putting out the fires on any given day. And that’s just the fieldwork.

Farmers are also tasked with marketing, branding, and selling their products. There are many factors to consider when creating a strong marketing plan, especially when deciding which channels are worth investing time and energy into. While market channels vary greatly depending on your geographic location, we hope this guide helps you get started.

that RAFI’s Farmers of Color Network held last year, the staff of Transplanting Traditions (a farm in Chapel Hill, NC supporting food sovereignty in the refugee community) shared that the key for the first few years of their CSA was asking farmers in the area who also had CSAs if they would suggest Transplanting Traditions to customers once theirs were full.

Additionally, farmers have found creative and collab-

ISTOCK/RYAN J LANE; RAFI STAFF

CSA Model

A CSA (community supported agriculture) is essentially a subscription-based model that creates a collaborative dynamic between farmers and their customers. Customers join as members of the farm, generally a few months before the beginning of the season. In return, farmers provide a box of produce to members each week of the season. Many farmers like this model because it gives them security before any seeds are planted and a trusting membership community.

With all the pros of a CSA, some farmers have struggled with the marketing side. How do you find a significant number of people interested in paying up front for produce they may not see for months, and that they don’t choose, like you would in a grocery store or farmers market? The CSA model (L) A bustling farmers market. (R) A member of St. takes a lot of creative advertisJames UMC and former ing and consumer consciousness RAFI Intern Austin Spence building. In a webinar on CSAs prepare a CSA box.

orative ways to make the CSA model more attractive to customers. For example, partnering with another farmer who grows different products (such as flowers, eggs, or chicken) expands the range of items that customers can add to their shares. This collaboration also allows farmers to share the burden of production, as growing for a CSA can be quite tricky. For instance, let’s imagine you have 75 members sign up for a 24-week season. You are promising to have 75 boxes of three to eight different items every week, R A F IUSA .O RG

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SCAN here for links to webinars and a Farm and Faith Partnerships video.

Farm and Faith Partnerships Project “Despite the tenuous nature of growing for a CSA, the model can provide a wonderful, communal experience. RAFI’s Farm and Faith Partnerships project, which has helped numerous farmers connect with faith communities since its launch in 2021, goes a long way toward creating sustainable food-based partnerships. I have the great opportunity of meeting with farmers and CSA members monthly for one of our Farm and Faith Partnerships Project CSAs. The farmers and church coordinators have developed a deep-seated sense of unity, community, and commitment to one another. Often the calls will revolve around logistics, but there is always time for the participants to share life updates with one another. Also, CSA members have been able to come to the aid of farmers by volunteering on the farm. It is truly a unique and personal way to sell farm products and build community around agriculture.”

— Angel Woodrum

which can be risky. Being familiar with succession planting is extremely important for CSA growers, as well as getting to know your neighboring producers for the occasions when crops fail or you need to supplement.

Transparency and education are also important for CSA growers. There will no doubt be a week where something fails. The corn was eaten by squirrels, a late frost took out what were supposed to be your early tomatoes, or seed corn maggots ate your sugar snap peas before they had a chance to sprout. Being able to share the struggles of farming with your CSA members is important so that the members understand if the boxes are lighter one week or if you have to include produce from a neighboring farm. In this way, CSA farmers often serve as frontline educators to the realities of eating local and the importance of supporting farmers directly.

Wholesale

Wholesale operates similarly to a CSA model in that farmers can secure sales before harvest. Additionally, many wholesale buyers are looking for large quantities, which simplifies the crop planning process. A farmer can focus on a few things they enjoy growing and bring in a profit.

However, this is only true for the most ideal wholesale 22

scenario. Elvin Eaton of Fairport Farms in Kittrell, NC shared some of the challenges of selling to wholesale buyers. While wholesale can be less demanding on the planning and planting end, “volume demands can vary along with prices.” Additionally, “connecting with these markets can be challenging for new farmers,” he says.

Some wholesale buyers, especially larger ones, require certifications and/or liability insurance. For example, GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certifications are often required for larger wholesale buyers to ensure that food safety precautions have been taken by the growers. Another option is selling to small wholesale buyers such as local groceries, cooperative groceries, or restaurants. While the quantities at these establishments may not be as high, quality and consistency requirements often are.

Wholesale can be a great option because it can take the complexity of marketing out of the equation. Once you know what a buyer is looking for and make a connection, you can then plan accordingly and arrange for drop-offs throughout the season — spending the rest of your time tending to your crops. Make sure you know what certifications are required; planning and partnership building on the front end will position the collaboration to be a long-lasting and successful one.

RAFI STAFF

To learn more about RAFI’s Farm and Faith Partnerships Project in NC, contact the Come to the Table team at cttt@rafiusa.org. Scan the QR code above to see a video about how it works and its many benefits.

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Weaver Street Market in Carrboro, NC stocks produce from several local farmers.

JOE PELLEGRINO

Farmers Markets

Farmers markets are another direct-to-consumer option. These markets vary greatly — some are outdoors, some indoors, some in metropolitan areas, some in rural areas. These variations can make them hard to plan for. Visit the markets you’re considering and talk with other vendors and the manager. Most markets have an application process conducted by its board of directors which usually opens a few months before the season starts.

In addition to a board of directors, many farmers markets employ a market manager, who is often responsible for visibility and promotion. This is a unique benefit farmers markets have over other market channels. Similar to wholesale, once you are in the market, the majority of the advertising is taken care of — customers know where to find locally grown goods in their area thanks to the market manager’s efforts. Thus, a farmers market is a great way to be introduced to customers and get your brand out into the community.

Farmers markets can be a less risky direct-to-consumer option for farmers than a CSA or wholesale accounts. Each of those requires specific quantities each week. If a crop fails and you are at a farmers market, you simply don’t have that product that week, but you have others. With a beautiful display, no one will notice or know that something you planned to have is missing.

Another good practice is having multiple market channels.

LaKay Farm, located in Louisburg, NC, has built from the momentum of one market channel into another. Myrlande and Dulime Saint-Jean are first generation Haitian farmers who are passionate about grass-based agricultural models and holistic treatment for animals. In 2023, they began selling their pasture-raised eggs at a farmers market. With the success of the market, they were able to expand their offerings to include poultry. They have also expanded to selling eggs and poultry as add-on options for area CSA vegetable farmers.

When speaking about the farmers market experience, the farmers shared, “Joining Durham Farmers Market has been a blessing for LaKay Farm. It helps us reach out to more customers and meet new farmers. It also helps with our cash flow which allows us to increase our production for 2024. Overall, it has been a great experience.”

ANGEL WOODRUM works as RAFI’s Market Access Coordinator as-

sisting farmers markets and farmers looking to expand market opportunities. Originally from Kentucky, Angel moved to North Carolina in 2015 to complete her Master of Divinity with a concentration in Food & Ecology at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. Since graduating, Angel has worked on various smallscale vegetable farms and currently co-owns a small market garden with her partner.

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Q&A

Farming Across Borders RAFI’s Agroecology Conversations at 2024 Oxford Real Farming Conference In early January 2024, RAFI staff members Edna Rodriguez, Carolina Alzate Gouzy, Ray Jeffers, and Jaimie McGirt attended the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) in the U.K. This conference attracts farmers, activists, policymakers, and researchers from around the world who are interested in transforming our food system. As anticipated, RAFI staff members came back energized and eager to bring the knowledge attained to inform and strengthen RAFI’s work.

The 2024 Oxford Real Farming Conference

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Living Roots: Why was it important for RAFI staff to attend this conference?

Edna Rodriguez: We’re not operating in a vacuum as we work toward mitigating the climate crisis. To help expand our global perspective, we decided to connect with our colleagues across the pond at the U.K.’s Oxford Real Farming Conference. In addition to learning more about the U.K.’s agricultural policy landscape and how it compares to ours, we were eager to hear more about international perspectives on agriculture and the climate crisis. Because of the still unclear definition of “regenerative agriculture,” we wanted to explore the approach of other countries, both in practice and in policy. And, finally, we were interested in learning more about how the U.K. supports marginalized farming communities. Overall, we wanted to connect to global movements, absorb new ideas, and draw inspiration from like-minded advocates.

LR: What were some of the important takeaways?

ER: The conference confirmed our belief that by working together we can address global issues such as the climate crisis, animal agriculture reform, and loosening the stranglehold of corporate interests on our agricultural system.

We went to listen and learn — that certainly happened. But what we couldn’t anticipate was the level of interest in our own work, particularly our efforts to support marginalized farmers and farmers of color.

Also, I was a bit taken aback by the realization that our visit coincided with a critically important time for U.K. agriculture, which had recently started implementing new agricultural policies introduced post-Brexit. The story of the implementation of these policies and the emerging challenges they present parallel the experience of the U.S. in many ways. I would not be surprised if, going forward, the U.K. policy

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landscape more closely resembles that of the U.S. Carolina Alzate Gouzy: I experienced the conference as a special gathering of people who united to think, reflect, and discuss agroecology — the type of event where you gain hope when hearing about the diverse ways agroecology is shaping stories of regeneration. It’s also helpful to stay connected to other global movements that are helping farmers thrive on their farms.

Jaimie McGirt: I got affirmation that agroecological farming methods when applied to any scale can help reduce emissions that are fueling the climate crisis; both farmers and scientists made a case for this. Also, I heard consensus that both reforesting or rewilding open farmland and regenerating healthy soil for carbon storage on actively used agricultural land are critical measures to slow the trajectory of the climate change crisis.

Ray Jeffers: I could see how RAFI’s work is global, especially around the areas of supporting local and regional food systems, addressing land access deficits, and facing and fighting corporate consolidation and its toll on agriculture, communities, and food systems worldwide. To make the impact we all hope for, we will have to seek thought partners around the globe, particularly when it comes to the climate crisis.

CAG: A strong food system does not only depend on a conscious and responsible government to direct the policies that support a just food system, but it depends most of all on a social fabric that integrates all the stakeholders.

Land access remains one of the biggest challenges globally for farmers because of historical, aristocratic, and inequitable dynamics that make it difficult if not impossible for small farmers to

“Land access remains one of the biggest challenges globally for farmers because of historical, aristocratic, and inequitable dynamics that make it difficult if not impossible for small farmers to hold land.”

—Carolina Alzate Gouzy hold land. The conference draws different kinds of people: farmers, academics, organizations, etc. and what makes it a great conference — globally recognized — is that everyone has a voice.

LR: What were some things you learned that surprised you?

JM: Producers in the U.K. share parallel experiences with their ag department as farmers in the U.S. do with the USDA. Many small-scale farmers expressed that the national conservation program does not sufficiently serve their needs; the programs were designed to serve larger farms.

RJ: I found it surprising how many farmers did not own the land they farmed on, but operated more like farm managers for large landowners. The U.K. has adopted the model “get big or get out,” as did the U.S. in the 1970s.

ER: The decision of the U.K. (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) to leave the European Union (EU), known as Brexit, has necessitated the development of a new agriculture policy, independent of EU’s framework. Each U.K. country created and implemented its own agricultural policy — something that initially surprised me to learn. That seems like a daunting undertaking.

However, I also believe that developing policies customized to the unique needs,

markets, and challenges of each region presents distinct advantages. It will be insightful to observe the implementation of these policies and their effectiveness in achieving their intended outcomes.

LR: How will attending this conference help your work with RAFI? JM: Learning about the structure of the U.K.’s conservation programs — as well as the opportunities and barriers posed to farmers trying to access them — will help us consider national policy recommendations for U.S. Farm Bill programs to better advance conservation on smaller acreage farms. I also hope to integrate a more agroecological focus into RAFI’s current conservation technical assistance offered to farmers.

CAG: Learning about the approaches other organizations take toward rural justice was inspiring in assessing our methods at RAFI. Recognizing the strength of the agroecological movement globally is crucial for comprehending its profound implications and exploring how we can integrate its principles into our climate action objectives.

ER: Post-Brexit, England’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (equivalent of USDA), introduced the Environmental Land Management Programme (ELM) as the cornerstone of its future farm policy. It focuses on payments for public goods, a departure from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), in which payments to farmers were largely based on the area of land owned and came with few conditions.

The new approach involves smaller payments and more conditions, many designed to incentivize conservation practices. At first glance, we noticed that ELM shares similarities with the NRCS. We plan to research and compare the two programs to uncover potential insights or innovative ideas.

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field notes

Cultivating Trust The Farmer’s Guide to Labels

POPULAR FOOD LABELS AND CERTIFICATIONS There are two main types of label claims: those that are independently verified (certified by a third party) and those that are not independently verified (self-made by the farmer or marketing company). Unless an independent third party verifies a claim, the integrity of a food label is only as reliable as the individual or company making it.

VERIFIED CLAIMS Certified Animal Welfare Approved

by AGW* was ranked as the highest-rated label by Consumer Reports when it comes to animal welfare, pasture-based farming, and sustainability. Certification requires high-welfare slaughter practices with pre-slaughter stunning and pasture access for all animals.

Animal Welfare Certified The Global Animal Partnership’s 5-step rating system has varying levels of welfare and outdoor access under the umbrella of “Animal Welfare Certified.” Farmers and consumers must confirm the specific step level to determine if the level reflects their practices or meets their expectations.

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Certified Humane does not require pasture-based management as a baseline but defines space requirements for animals. It also has an optional pasture-raised add-on label.

Certified Humane does not require pre-slaughter stunning for all species.

Certified Organic In general, organic production limits the use of conventional chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and other synthetic inputs. While modest improvements are underway, this label does not currently ensure high welfare or outdoor access for all species. Standards are written and maintained by the USDA National Organic Program.

Genetic Modification While genetically modified ingredients are not required to be effectively disclosed, consumers may choose to avoid them for a variety of reasons, including health and environmental impacts. The two leading certifications dedicated to avoidance of genetically modified ingredients are Certified Non-GMO by AGW and Non-GMO Project Verified.

Grassfed Certification issuers each have their own standards.

Check if the standards include infor-

mation about routine antibiotics or hormones, animal welfare, or environmental impacts. Some options are American Grassfed Association, Certified Grassfed by AGW, and Organic Grassfed Add-ons (e.g., from Pennsylvania Certified Organic and Organic Plus Trust).

Regenerative This is one of the fastest growing and increasingly confusing claims out there.

There is no single agreed-upon definition for regenerative ag, but proponents of it often cite minimizing soil disturbance, integrating livestock, maximizing soil cover, rotational grazing, and lowering external inputs. Others believe regenerative should go further to improve ecosystems or to benefit farmers, animals, and communities. Two of the options are Certified Regenerative by AGW and Regenerative Organic Certified.

JOE PELLEGRINO

Organic. Cage-Free. Certified Grassfed. What do these terms and claims really mean for farmers and consumers, and are any of them right for you as a farmer?

People are understandably curious about what’s in their food and how it’s produced. With only less than 2% of the U.S. population living and working on farms, the non-farming community often fills their gap in knowledge with inaccurate or misleading information. While federal laws require food labeling to be “truthful and not misleading,” enforcement is spotty and often hinges on whether a company follows its own definition of a claim. Realistically, though, labels are still the primary way people get information about their food. As a farmer, using label claims effectively helps ensure that your products are appropriately valued.

This article surveys some of the most commonly used labels and discusses how to determine whether a label or certification might be a good fit for your farming operation.

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SCAN for a list of links to various certifying organizations, AGW’s comprehensive label guide, and more.

Certification may not be a good fit for producers who: • Don’t want to keep basic records or agree to regular inspections.

• Buy and resell products without knowing the source or how they were produced.

• Primarily market on a selling point of direct-to-consumer relationships and have no need to further differentiate their product.

• Sell into a commodity market that doesn’t require or pay a premium for certification.

NON-VERIFIED CLAIMS Cage-Free has no legal or regulated definition. While it implies animals are raised outdoors on pasture, this claim is highly misleading.

“Cage-free” chickens, for example, are often raised indoors in overcrowded, enclosed barns.

Certified Naturally Grown’s label hinges on a Participatory Guarantee System, employing a peer-review inspection process built on local networks, rather than a formal or independent audit.

Natural/All Natural is one of the most misleading label claims. Consumer surveys show most people think it refers to how animals are raised. Yet a “natural” label, as legally defined by the USDA, applies only to how meat is processed after slaughter — simply that it is minimally processed with no artificial ingredients.

Pastured/Pasture-raised is not legally defined. While it implies animals were raised outdoors on pasture, there is no way to know for sure unless it has been certified by a third party that requires pasture-based management.

SO, SHOULD YOU GET CERTIFIED? Certification can be a great fit for farmers who: • Want to differentiate products in a consumer-friendly way.

• Source from other producers or sell as a group and want traceability and consistency of practices.

• Are comfortable keeping basic records and agree to regular inspections (usually once every year or two).

• Sell into a commodity market that requires and/or pays a premium for certification.

Certification can be an important and useful part of an overall marketing plan, but it’s not a silver bullet.

The value of a certification often depends on how effectively you use it within the context of your market. Do you use the label logo on your certified products and marketing materials? What steps do you take to explain what the certification means to your customers?

If you’re thinking about getting certified, a great first step is to read the standards for the program you’re interested in to learn about the different requirements, fees, and inspection protocols. Then, get in touch; they should be glad to hear from you and answer any questions you have. *This article was shared by A Greener World (AGW), a certifying organization focused on animal welfare and sustainability. RAFI and the Soil Health Institute are teaming up with AGW on one of the 141 USDA Climate-Smart Commodity projects, designed to assist farmers in implementing climate-smart practices and obtaining the Certified Regenerative by AGW label. (See more information on the inside back cover.)

While an active certifier, AGW has tried to offer a balanced and informed view of the options described in this article.

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rural reflections

Startlement

by Ada Limón It is a forgotten pleasure, the pleasure of the unexpected blue-bellied lizard skittering off his sun spot rock, the flicker of an unknown bird by the bus stop.

To think, perhaps, we are not distinguishable and therefore no loneliness can exist here.

Species to species in the same blue air, smoke— wing flutter buzzing, a car horn coming.

So many unknown languages, to think we have only honored this strange human tongue.

If you sit by the riverside, you see a culmination of all things upstream. We know now, we were never at the circle’s center, instead all around us something is living or trying to live.

The world says, What we are becoming, we are becoming together.

The world says, One type of dream has ended and another has just begun.

The world says, Once we were separate, and now we must move in unison.

Ada Limón is the 24th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress. She was commissioned to write this poem for the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), summarized here on pages 8-11. This was the first time poetry was included in the report’s history.

Reprinted with permission of the author.

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JOE PELLEGRINO

INTERESTED IN OBTAINING FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT REGENERATIVE, CLIMATESMART PRACTICES?

TK

RAFI JUST FOODS PROGRAM DIRECTOR KELLI DALE

RAFI, A Greener World, and Soil Health Institute are recruiting farmers for a project funded through USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. Want to transition toward regenerative practices, improve operations, access new markets, and join the growing network of farmers committed to environmental conservation?

PROGRAM BENEFITS $1,250 stipend to support the planning for a climate-smart regenerative farm and emissions reduction plan design.

Opportunity to become Certified Regenerative (up to a $2,050 value) by A Greener World. Steps: Plan, implement, audit, and validate.

Assistance accessing new climate-smart markets and premiums along with customized marketing and labeling support from AGW.

Incentive payments average $10,000 based on examination of emissions reductions and implementation of specific climatesmart agriculture and forestry practices.

ELIGIBILITY/BEST FIT All farm sizes are eligible — however, farms of 15+ acres are best suited to have the optimum experience.

Farmers with full management and control of their farms ensure a necessary holistic approach to the entire farm operation.

Farmers who seek to achieve clear traceability of their products will benefit.

Focus is on the Southeast U.S., however, any interested U.S. farmer may apply.

Farmers can be involved in livestock production, cropping, or both.

ELIGIBLE COMMODITIES

USDA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER, EMPLOYER, AND LENDER

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ROW CROPS Corn, Soybeans, Barley, Oats, Rye, SPECIALTY CROPS Triticale, Cotton, Peas, Pumpkins, Peanuts, Sunflowers, LIVESTOCK Squash, Kale, Green Potatoes, Kidney Dairy cows, Beef Beans, Beets, Beans, Alfalfa, cattle, Sheep, Goats, Carrots, and 29 a rangeAG A Z I N E R AFI .ORG/M Clover, Rice, & Wheat and Swine of Fruits

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Non-Profit Org. US Postage

PAID RAFI-USA PO Box 640 Pittsboro, NC 27312

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Permit 4678 St. Louis MO

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