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Brittany Butler

ENG 1201-B53

Professor Kretzer

30 April 2020

Local Farming in a Time of Crisis

The world experiences trauma every day, every year, every decade. Tornadoes,

hurricanes, earthquakes, and diseases are just a few examples of traumas that can shut down the

production of certain chains in our daily lives. Humans need 4 major things in order to survive:

food, water, shelter, and clothing. What if we do not have access to some of these resources in a

time of disaster? Our world is experiencing a pandemic and people are concerned with the

history, production, and delivery of their food sources. How have community gardens and

farmers markets become crucial during a crisis? Research has shown community gardens and

markets have been able to provide families with freshly sourced food by way of online ordering

with delivery and pick-up options. These businesses are providing comfort during this COVID-

19 pandemic by supplying nutritious food and resources for people to stay active in their local

community.

Certified Farmers’ Markets and local food stands were put on the “essential businesses”

list as of March 23rd, 2020, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Other reports have

stated people being more interested in seeking out local businesses for their fresh food instead of

the grocery stores (Rao). When the Stay-at-Home order was placed, farmers began to worry

about their crops. When restaurants, and businesses of the like, had to close their doors, these

farmers were wondering where their products would be sent. Since markets were still able to

operate, social distancing procedures were put in place so people could safely purchase fresh,
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local produce. Online ordering became supported so these farmers could put boxes of food

together for families and have a curbside pick-up function to abide by these new guidelines

(Rao).

It isn’t just a crisis that makes urban agriculture popular. Local farmers have been

providing families with fresh food for centuries now. Community gardens began in the late

1800’s when the first economic recession hit (“Grown from the Past”). These gardens were being

created so unemployed workers with low wages could provide their families with food to put on

the table. For decades after, farmers continued to source local food, until 2010 when there was a

big resurgence (“The Local Food Movement”). All over the globe people were turning to

markets for food because they realized it was safer for the environment, provided economic

growth, and had greater health benefits. Community gardens also became a stress reliever. They

brought people together by offering hands-on projects they could learn and master, as well as

consume. Gardening can be a type of therapy and, now that we are in a major world crisis, can

help people continue to feel a sense of unity by following and maintaining their gardens.

Sustaining a local garden requires dedication. There are factors that go into growing your

own produce that will help the longevity of the garden and its product. Composting, turning food

waste into soil (“Sustainable Gardening Tips”), is one element that is easy to implement. This

method uses the earth’s natural sources to break down food waste and provide a rich soil, with all

its nutrients, you can use for planting. The location of your garden is also key. Having plenty of

sunlight and a solid water source are crucial. Trees and wooded areas should be avoided when

finding a place to begin your garden. The use of rain barrels can aid in the water source if you

are not close to a natural body of water. They should be placed close to the garden, so they are

easily and readily usable, and keep the faucet for city water turned off. The Missouri Botanical
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Garden, an article on home growing, states the importance of sunlight and water. If you have

direct sunlight for 6-8 hours a day, with proper watering, your crops will grow evenly and

abundantly. Crops should be watered in the morning portion of the day to help with moisture.

Keeping your garden free of weeds and their seeds is another importance. Weeds should not be

put into the compost pile because they will overtake the soil and prevent key nutrients from

doing their job.

For farmers markets to exist and excel, multiple farms that produce different crops are

required. There can be competition in this field of study because local produce is in demand but

in a time of crisis, or in normal everyday life, it is important to realize more people means more

business. If everyone works together to compile an expansive list of various crops and livestock,

your community will expand. It is also possible to maintain any type of restrictions by having

multiple gardens. They may reduce the number of workers, which becomes a challenge, but is

necessary in this current time. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an example of an

organization that has the necessary resources to feed hundreds of people in need, with multiple

gardens in production (“Community Supported Agriculture”). There are many local farmers

working together to produce different crop so that consumers have a variety and only need to

purchase from one location. Members sign up to be offered shares by the CSA and have a box, or

boxes, of food prepared for the consumer to pick up. The CSA has staggered their pick-up times,

so they follow the guidelines for COVID-19 safety. An unknown is you won’t always receive the

same box of food. Some farmers are including recipes for families to experiment with since they

aren’t always receiving the same ingredients. This therapeutic exercise keeps people engaged in

learning something new which is an important tool to utilize while under a Stay-at-Home order.

The other special thing the CSA provides is security in the form of product. Consumers know
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exactly where the products are being grown and maintained and that information provides added

security regarding people’s health.

In a time of crisis, farmers haven’t stopped their production, rather, they are seeing this as

a time to ramp up their tactics. Local gardeners across the country have seen an increase in sales

since the pandemic of COVID-19 (Wharton). Because these folks realize the importance of

keeping their gardens flowing, people have been able to eat. According to the New York Times,

Farmer’s Markets all over the globe have now adapted to virtual ordering. Farmers will take their

various products and put together a box of food that you pick up, while ensuring only the

vendors have handled said products. The reassurance of safety is very important during a crisis

such as this and articles are proving these measures are being taken. For example, some

businesses have certain employees that are scheduled for sanitation purposes, making sure proper

distance is remained, hand washing is happening, and proper safety equipment is being worn

(Ohio Department of Health). If farmers continue following the restriction guidelines it continues

to build rapport with communities and people feel safer and more at ease. As a result of the new

guidelines, people are afraid to step into grocery stores. The quick spread of the virus and the big

crowds that inhibit them are more reasons local farming is in high demand right now. A local

farmer, Jennifer Piette, in Los Angeles saw her consumer base jump from 85 to 185 orders in one

week, then to 350 the following week (NY Times). “You don’t usually quintuple your volume in

a few days,” said Ms. Piette, who was racing to keep up.

According to an article on the Local Food Movement, locally produced crops have

health, economic, and environmental benefits which aids in their importance. Local farmers have

smaller fields and aren’t using harsh chemicals or fertilizers to boost the soil’s freshness.

Another thing to realize is the distance products travel in order to be put up for sale. Grocery
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stores tend to have their product shipped in from all over the country. The nutrition of vegetables

decreases the longer it is en route to its destination. Once you cut produce from its natural

habitat, the nutrients in the product begin to suffer (Old Farmer’s Almanac). Studies continued to

prove this, which led more consumers to buy locally. Why would anyone want less nutritious

food from the store if they can have a fresher product from a few miles away? Urban agriculture

allows consumers to purchase produce that has travelled much less to get to its destination

because the farms are sourcing from a short mileage away. Diminishing on the time travelled is

parallel to the amount of gas burned. Since farmers are providing crop that is local, the

environment sees an improvement with less gas being burned. Economically speaking, farmers

are getting back what they put into the community they are serving. Since a crisis has changed

the ways of life, farmers are seeing a demand for product. What money they are putting into their
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farms comes back from the consumers.

Figure 1. shows the beauty of locally grown produce.

Communities all around realize the importance of collectiveness and support. Dayton has

experienced its fair share of devastation over the last few years with tornadoes, then a mass
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shooting, now COVID-19. In times like these, seeing a community come together to work for the

greater good benefits each of us in an inspiring way. It gives people a continued feeling of

support and dedication. Right now, we are not able to leave our homes, so how can these gardens

and their farmers help? Powerful colors and flavors lift people’s spirits and having your own

garden provides a canvas to get their hands dirty. It teaches them new skills and educates them

on their health and well-being (Kitchen). It also allows them to focus on something other than

the crazy happenings in the world around them and, once produced, they will be able to

physically touch and consume their hard work. Travis Basora, Amos Amorin and Adeija Jones

are local farmers in New York and they have seen positive results for families in the community

they are serving in another way (NY Times). They are farmers sourcing to low income families

and, when things were shut down, these families were in desperate need. “Yes, there’s a

pandemic, but we’re still here, we’re still working,” said Mr. Basora. Some are not able to make

it to the grocery store because they do not have the correct resources and having the convenience

of a local garden in their neighborhood makes all the difference. After an earthquake in New

Zealand back in 2010, the community gardeners present realized the importance of keeping their

people fed and recovering (Shimpo, Naomi, et al). Since we are not able to leave our homes

currently, home gardening is encouraged. There are tutorials all over the internet that provide

information from start to final product. Garden centers in other parts of the world are hoping to

continue implementing locally grown produce into the homes of those in their community and

around them. In Brussels, a report was done that stated their goal by 2030 is to have 30% of the

produce consumed in households be locally sourced (AFP News Footage). This type of

production is what keeps food on tables and in stomachs so that people survive. There are

multiple community gardens that are working together to produce the right amount of varying
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product. No one is in competition because it is not beneficial. Different communities provide

different produce so there is a vast array of options.

There have been arguments that locally grown produce is too expensive and is it worth it?

Over the last decade there has been an increase in sales and a higher demand for locally grown

products, according to a report on supported agriculture (Dong, Huan, et al). These communities,

and the people driving them, are providing a base for meetings, a sense of unity, and a fresher

product. In times of need this is very beneficial. These communities are now providing food for

families that may not be able to afford a big grocery run, people that aren’t able to drive, along

with those that see the health value. According to an article on the Local Food Movement, one

drawback to locally sourced food is the changing of seasons effects on products. Farmers realize

the importance of feeding those that are in need and are trying to keep the cost down. By

growing and maintaining foods that are in season, cost can be kept at a manageable price. There

are people that have an issue with the variance in size, shape, and taste of some of the food (“The

Local Food Movement”). This inconsistency doesn’t sit well with some and has been brought up

on different accounts, which is why big-scale farming can be preferred. When experts look at the

facts, there aren’t that many individuals that have a problem with this issue.

One downfall this crisis has shown is fear. There are farmers markets that have been

given the green light to stay in operation, under restricted guidelines, but because of the severity

of this pandemic, people are wanting to stay home and not open their doors. Since these markets

are one of the main hubs for sourcing local products, some farmers have experienced a decrease

in profit and increased waste. Restaurants have closed their doors and the negative effects are

being seen. Two farmers in Lexington, KY had worked hard to build an agricultural system for

their plants and had recently become successful. (Severson) They were supplying a lot of the
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salad greens for The University of Kentucky’s kitchens. They had to find other resources to take

their product so it wouldn’t go to waste. The CSA was able to step in and offer support since

their order numbers were increasing. This helped the farmers by allowing them to add their crop

to the boxes being put together for distribution. Fear continues to affect people; a member of a

garden in Massachusetts, Hannah Traggis, said, “my gut instinct was to close it for a few weeks

until we knew what was going on.” (Severson) Once she realized the public in fact wanted the

opposite, she decided to remain working and recruited those that felt comfortable to join her.

This example shows the continuing demand for farming to continue without interruption even in

a time of crisis.

Having gardens present in communities and in your personal home gives people a

resilience that was once lost and allows communities to come together and grow out of the

devastation they were faced with. Local farming, and its benefits, is one area consumers can still

view as important and beneficial. Farmer’s Markets and Community Supported Agriculture are

making sure to exercise all measures of safety to ensure to continuation of product demand.

There is still research to be done regarding how these farms will sustain over a long period of

time. People’s attitudes are also going change and that will have a continuing effect on local

business. If community gardens continue to be as resourceful and successful as already proven,

we will be able to eat local food for some time and have peace of mind in knowing our food

sources are being taken care of. Food is a very important resource for people to have access to

and there are many thanks to the farmers and workers that have chosen to continue taking care of

their crop.
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Works Cited

“Best Questions to Ask Your Local Farmer’s Market.” Foodtrients. 15 August 2015. Web Accessed

24 Aril 2020.
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"Community-supported agriculture seeks outside-the-box solutions." Janesville Gazette [Janesville,

WI], 20 Aug. 2018. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, Accessed 14 Apr. 2020.

“Community Supported Agriculture.” Local Harvest, www.localharvest.org/csa/. Accessed 18 Apr.

2020

Dong, Huan, et al. "Factors impacting producer marketing through community supported

agriculture." PLoS ONE, vol. 14, no. 7, 2019, p. e0219498. Gale In Context: Opposing

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“Growing Vegetables at Home.” Missouri Botanical Garden,

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information/Essential-Businesses-Operations-Employers.

Kitchen, Leanne. The Produce Bible: Essential Ingredient Information and More than 200 Recipes

for Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs & Nuts. Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2007.

Old Farmer's Almanac. “Vegetable Gardening for Beginners.” Old Farmer's Almanac,

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Rao, Tejal. “As Supermarkets Feel Hazardous and Sparse, Small Farms Deliver.” The New York

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Severson, Kim. “The Farm-to-Table Connection Comes Undone.” The New York Times, The New

York Times, 9 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/dining/farm-to-table-coronavirus.html.

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Shimpo, Naomi, et al. “How Community Gardens May Contribute to Community Resilience

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"Urban Agriculture." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2019. Gale In Context:

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Pandemic.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Apr. 2020,

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