ASHEVILLE – Western North Carolina’s agriculture industry and federal, state and local nonprofit agricultural agencies met one month after Tropical Storm Helene to discuss the next steps toward recovery.
On Oct. 29, WNC farmers filled the White Horse event venue in Black Mountain seeking short- and long-term aid and answers at a collaborative disaster relief informational meeting.
Karen McSwain, associate executive director of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, said the mission was to explore how farmers can move forward after experiencing significant damage and losses in the historic Sept. 27 storm.
McSwain said nearly 13,000 farms are in WNC, making up 30% of North Carolina farms.
She said the agricultural community’s widespread impact extends to the region’s tourism industry.
“We have a lot of farmers going to farmers markets and providing our community with fresh, local produce. Our Western North Carolina agrotourism industry relies on our farmers because a lot of people come here because we’re known for our farm-to-table restaurants,” McSwain said.
She said service organizations and programs that provide food to food-insecure communities depend on regional farmers for fresh, healthy ingredients, and they are among the affected.
The Equal Plates Project, an Asheville-based nonprofit, previously reported to the Citizen Times that it sources from more than 70 local farms year-round for regular services.
As of Oct. 21, the nonprofit distributed more than 13,295 chef-made meals and spent more than $15,000 with local small farms, during its post-Helene free meal distribution outreach.
Yet, McSwain said farms are facing revenue losses as restaurant partners and other vendors close and end contracts, and some have questioned the quality of the food from storm-impacted crops.
“The damage that they have experienced is from flooding from rivers flooding their land and there’s a lot of concern about what was in those rivers, also flooding from standing water,” McSwain said.
WNC farm outreach and next steps
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, National Resources Conservation Service, Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District, WNC Communities, the Organic Growers School and other agencies and nonprofits addressed those and other concerns.
The representatives shared resources and advice for funding, navigating the recovery process, cleaning and rebuilding farms, applying for grants and loans, pivoting business models and creating food safety guidelines.
Michael Rayburn, the co-owner of Rayburn Farms in Barnardsville and the urban agriculture agent for Buncombe County Cooperative Extension, was with his colleagues from the North Carolina State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University-founded initiative. They provided information on topics like sourcing cover crop seeds, seeking funding, mental health resources, soil and water testing, and making long-term recovery plans.
Rayburn said the agency desired to get feedback from impacted farmers about their losses and needs.
“Whether that is helping to make them financially sound during this recovery period or providing them with the knowledge how to recover their fields when to plant, when not to plant ― we’re advising everyone not to grow or plant any crops for 60 days in flooded areas and not to harvest any crops that got flooded,” he said.
Rayburn said farmers are advised not to allow livestock into flooded pastures for 60 days in case of biological or chemical contaminants.
WNC farm disaster relief aid and resources
The groups extended assistance for issues like handling trees toppled in the storm and the damage they caused to infrastructure, high tunnel greenhouses and equipment.
Other reports included damage to conservation infrastructure, like grassed waterways, culverts, bridges and other systems used to manage water on their farms.
Resources were extended for ensuring the quality of water for irrigation and soil, repairing land and fencing, cleaning up debris and sediment deposits, and replacing lost topsoil.
Farmers were invited to ask questions and have one-on-one discussions after the presentation.
David Smiley, local food campaign program director for the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, said he desired to meet people who hadn’t yet connected with the farm advocacy nonprofit and to provide education on available resources and technical assistance for navigating applications and accessing professional services.
Smiley informed attendees about ASAP’s grants and services, like the Appalachian Grown Immediate Need Grant, which provides up to $500 to eligible farmers for expenses like cleaning, replanting, repairing or other costs not covered by insurance or other programs.
“It’s difficult if you’re not in this ag resource world to know what’s out there, so making sure folks sit down with somebody or get on the phone with somebody and spend some time learning about what all they can access,” Smiley said. “There’s a good amount out there but it’s tricky to know what all is there.”
Grants, loans, resources and other relief aids for WNC farmers
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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and covered the arts, entertainment and hospitality in Louisiana for several years. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: WNC farms seek help for Tropical Storm Helene clean-up, recovery
