from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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Unprecedented federal funding and direct-to-consumer adaptations: A look back at the 2020 growing season for Pennsylvania farmers |
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JAFSCD peer-reviewed article by Christopher D. Murakami (Chatham U), Miriam Seidel (Chatham U), Chia-Lin Tsai (U of Northern Colorado), and Jasmine Pope (Chatham U)
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The 2020 growing season was marked by pandemic lockdowns, supply-chain issues, labor disruptions, and other challenges that compounded already difficult conditions for farmers globally. Farmers were left to deal with not only a wide range of new and persistent problems, but also widespread changes across the food system. By the close of 2020, the U.S. government had distributed US$45.6 billion through government relief programs for farmers.
In a new JAFSCD article, “COVID-19 and Pennsylvania farmers: Financial impacts, relief programs, and resiliency strategies during the 2020 growing season,” the authors report on their findings from a multi-method study of Pennsylvania (USA) farmers including results from a survey (n=318) and qualitative interviews (n=16). The objectives of this study were to (a) gain more insight into the impact of the pandemic on Pennsylvania farmers during the 2020 growing season, (b) understand more about federal relief program participation, and (c) explore strategies utilized to adapt to changing conditions.
KEY FINDINGS -
42% of surveyed farmers reported a loss of revenue during the 2020 growing season compared to 2019. Lower revenue farmers were slightly more likely to report this pandemic-related loss of revenue.
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49% of surveyed farmers participated in at least one of several federal relief programs, but farmers who reported lower pre-COVID revenues were less likely to participate in relief programs. Some of these farmers reported that they were unable to determine their eligibility for the programs.
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51.4% of surveyed farmers reported maintaining or enhancing their direct-to-consumer marketing through CSAs, farm stands, or farmers market sales.
- The use of direct-to-consumer marketing may have insulated farmers from greater financial losses. The findings suggest that farmers who decreased or did not engage in direct-to-consumer marketing reported significantly greater financial losses.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH - To assure the stability of the protective direct-to-consumer relationships, federal assistance and future investment should focus on enhancing infrastructure and the capacity to regional food systems, which have been shown to be more resilient to disruption.
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Federal farm aid eligibility should be reevaluated to prioritize small and midsized farmers (based on revenue), in order to target those farmers not benefiting from other federal agricultural support.
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Federal policy should recognize the unique needs of smaller farmers seeking to build a viable farm business and, when necessary, adapt their practices during times of disruption. Targeted outreach to these farmers to inform them of available federal aid and to provide application assistance is needed.
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Photo above: Some of the contents for the cold meal bags for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Seamless Summer Option (SSO), which provided curbside distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic in San Antonio, Texas, in April 2020. https://flic.kr/p/paTUf2
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