WASHINGTON,
DC — Today, American Farmland Trust, the
organization behind the national movement No Farms No Food®,
announces the creation of a Farmer Relief Fund. All monies raised will go
directly to farmers. The fund will award eligible farmers with
cash grants of up to $1,000 each to help them weather the current storm of
market disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis. The initial focus will be on
farms that sell at farmers markets or to restaurants,
caterers, schools, stores, or makers who use farm products. That focus could change over time as the negative impacts
of the crisis become more widespread within U.S. agriculture.
A new
report estimates that local
and regional food systems could lose up to $1.3 billion between just March and
May of this year. While all farmers and
ranchers will likely be seriously impacted by the market disruptions caused by
the coronavirus pandemic, some farmers are losing their primary markets because
people can’t eat in restaurants or shop at farmers markets. Other farmers will
be hard hit because they will not be able to maintain adequate farm
labor—including the migrant labor now essential for many crops. Still other
farmers will be devastated by expected disruptions in trade.
Yet at
this time, those farmers and ranchers who market directly to consumers are
being impacted most drastically. These farmers tend to be small businesses and
are not covered by traditional farm safety net programs. This is a critical time for these farmers, the beginning of
planting season, a time when little money is coming in and much is going out. Without some form of support,
many will go out of business.
“AFT is
focused on calling immediate attention to the struggle of the farmers
who have been suddenly cut off from their main sources of revenue or
seen them reduced. We want to help by providing funds to bridge
the gap,” said John Piotti, AFT president and CEO. “But this
crisis also elevates the need for AFT’s broader work, getting
farming right before it is too late. We can’t let this crisis
slow us down. If agriculture is to have a future, if we are
to have a future, we must work hard to protect our agricultural
resources, including the land, the soil and the people who steward both.”
The
Farmer Relief Fund program details can be found at www.farmland.org/relief. The easy-to-complete application will be posted on the
website within 24 hours.
Initially, eligible
applicants include small and mid-size direct-market producers. These are
defined as producers with annual gross revenue of between $10,000 and $1
million from sales at farmers markets and/or direct sales to restaurants,
caterers, schools, stores, or makers who use farm products.
AFT envisions an initial application round extending until
April 23, with grants beginning to be made by May 1.
John Piotti will hold an ‘AFT Free Range Conversation’ on Wednesday,
March 25 at 8 PM EST. Register here.
Stay
tuned to AFT’s social channels for updates on
the Farmer Relief Fund and farmers on the front lines of
this crisis. Sign up to receive AFT email updates at farmland.org/sign-up.