By Nick Wood, CFSA Policy Director | Thursday, May 7, 2020 —
The North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) convened over the weekend to unanimously pass a COVID-19 relief package totaling nearly $1.6 billion that was signed into law by Governor Cooper on Monday. All of the funding appropriated came out of the $3.5 billion that Congress allocated to NC for COVID-19 relief in the CARES Act. The NCGA chose to spend less than half of the money available from the federal government; the remaining $2 billion is going unused.
This legislation addresses some of the immediate issues faced by millions of North Carolinians, but the needs of small and mid-sized farms were largely left out despite calls from CFSA members urging lawmakers to address their concerns. Aid from the US Department of Agriculture has yet to come and many farmers need emergency support now to stay in business. The $125 million for small business loans through the NC Rural Center and the Golden LEAF Foundation was a good start, but for many small farms borrowing money to survive this crisis doesn’t make sense.
The NCGA chose to spend less than half of the money available from the federal government; the remaining $2 billion is going unused.
The final package included a number of other provisions that will aid some farms and rural communities, including $9 million for rural broadband and $15 million to cover costs of euthanizing livestock on farms that no longer have access to meat processing facilities closed due to the pandemic.
And the NCGA took a positive step in encouraging the $6 million it appropriated for food banks to be used for North Carolina-based farmers and vendors, but encouragement alone is not enough. As COVID-19 disrupts national food supply chains, the NCGA missed the opportunity to use relief funds to strengthen local food supply networks and increase food security in the state, including farm-to-school.
Information about when the NCGA is going to reconvene and what they will change by the day. The latest information we have is that they will be meeting again beginning on May 18. Earlier reports indicated that legislators would meet to discuss the budget in June or July as well. The CFSA Policy Team will keep you updated as we learn more!
We are in the midst of an unprecedented public health and economic disaster, and the NCGA needed to take action to strengthen our local food systems rather than leaving them vulnerable to failure. CFSA surveyed small farms to assess the effects of COVID-19 and found that 35% have seen their sales shrink by $1,000 or more every week.
CFSA surveyed small farms to assess the effects of COVID-19 and found that 35% have seen their sales shrink by $1,000 or more every week.
Small and mid-sized farms that sell directly to consumers, restaurants, and farm-to-school are losing business due to the pandemic, pushing many to the edge of failure. The conventional farm safety net does not help these producers or the food hubs and other local food businesses they work with.
CFSA and our allies will continue to push NC government to take real action to help farms recover, and to strengthen local food systems so our state is less vulnerable when the next pandemic or disaster shocks the global food supply chain. Sign up for our action alerts so you can keep informed about this campaign and opportunities for you to make your voice heard when legislators come back to Raleigh later this spring and summer.