ASHEVILLE – Western North Carolina’s agriculture industry and federal, state and local nonprofit agricultural agencies came together a month after Tropical Storm Helene to discuss next steps toward recovery.

On October 29, WNC farmers filled the White Horse event venue in Black Mountain to seek short- and long-term help and answers during a collaborative emergency relief briefing. disaster event.

Karen McSwain, associate executive director of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, said the mission is to explore how farmers can move forward after suffering significant damage and loss during the historic Sept. 27 storm.

McSwain said nearly 13,000 farms are in WNC, representing 30 percent of North Carolina’s farms.

She said the widespread impact of the agricultural community extends to the region’s tourism industry.

“Many farmers go to farmers markets and provide our community with fresh, local produce. Our agritourism industry in Western North Carolina depends on our farmers because a lot of people come here because we are known for our farm-to-table restaurants,” McSwain said.

She said service organizations and programs that provide food to food-insecure communities rely on regional farmers for fresh, healthy ingredients, and they are among those 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 its regular services.

As of October 21, the non-profit organization has distributed more than 13,295 chef-prepared meals and spent more than $15,000 with small local farms during its post-Hélène free meal distribution effort.

Still, McSwain said farms face revenue losses as restaurant partners and other suppliers enter into and end contracts, and some have questioned the quality of food from crops affected by the storm.

“The damage they suffered was due to flooding from the rivers which inundated their land and there is a lot of concern about what was in those rivers, as well as flooding from standing water,” McSwain said.

WNC Agricultural Outreach and Next Steps

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, the National Resources Conservation Service, the Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District, WNC Communities, the Organic Growers School and Other agencies and nonprofits have responded to these and other concerns.

Representatives shared resources and advice on financing, navigating the recovery process, cleaning up and rebuilding farms, applying for grants and loans, changing business models, and creating guidelines in matters of food safety.

Michael Rayburn, co-owner of Rayburn Farms in Barnardsville and urban agriculture agent for Buncombe County Cooperative Extension, was with his colleagues from North Carolina State University and the State Agricultural University-founded initiative and Technical of North Carolina. They provided information on topics such as sourcing cover crop seeds, finding funding, mental health resources, soil and water testing, and developing long-term recovery plans .

Rayburn said the agency wants feedback from affected farmers about their losses and needs.

“Whether it helps them be financially strong during this recovery period or provides them with knowledge on how to recover their fields, when to plant, when not to plant – we are advising everyone not to cultivate or plant for 60 days .flooded areas and not to harvest any flooded crops,” he said.

Rayburn said farmers are advised not to let livestock enter flooded pastures for 60 days if there are biological or chemical contaminants.

WNC Agricultural Disaster Relief Assistance and Resources

The groups helped with issues such as handling trees toppled by the storm and the damage they caused to infrastructure, high tunnel greenhouses and equipment.

Other reports included damage to conservation infrastructure, such as grassed waterways, culverts, bridges and other systems used to manage water on their farms.

Resources were expanded to ensure irrigation water and soil quality, repair land and fences, clean up debris and sediment deposits, and replace 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 wanted to meet people who weren’t already connected to the farm advocacy nonprofit and provide education on available resources and technical assistance in navigating applications and accessing professional services.

Smiley informed attendees about ASAP’s grants and services, such as the Appalachian Immediate Needs Grant, which provides up to $500 to eligible farmers for expenses such as cleanup, replanting, repair or other costs not covered by insurance or other programs.

“It’s hard, if you’re not in the agricultural resource world, to know what’s out there, so make sure people sit down with someone or phone someone and spend some time talking to each other. educate about everything they can access,” Smiley said. “There’s a fair amount of it, but it’s hard to know what it is.”

Grants, loans, resources and other relief assistance for WNC farmers

Stories you may have missed:

Tiana Kennell is the food reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today network. She graduated from Michigan State University and covered arts, entertainment and hospitality in Louisiana for several years. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage.

This article was originally published on Asheville Citizen Times: WNC Farms Ask for Help with Cleanup and Recovery from Tropical Storm Helene