CFSA’s COVID-19 Response

by CFSA | Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2020 (Last updated Thursday, Mar. 19 at 11:45 a.m.) —

As we all grapple with how best to do our part to reduce the threat of COVID-19, while continuing to support the critical work of local farmers and food systems, we wanted to share the steps CFSA has taken to-date:

Office staffing: CFSA staff is now working remotely. The main office phone (919.542.2402) will direct callers to leave voicemails for staff who will receive messages by email. Find staff extensions here.
Lomax Farm: Our research and education farm in Concord is closed to the public, and CFSA staff will be there as necessary. Farmers utilizing growing spaces at Lomax will also be allowed as needed.
Events: CFSA workshops and events are canceled or postponed until at least May. Registrations will be refunded. Check our events calendar as we move forward with creating new web-based training opportunities. The Piedmont Farm Tour, scheduled for late April, has also been canceled.
Farmer Resources: We’re compiling links to recommendations from national food and agriculture experts to help you make informed decisions. We’ve started mapping farms with sales that accommodate social-distancing practices (like “curbside” pickup or call-ahead ordering). If you’re a farmer in North or South Carolina – CFSA member or not – and would like to be included in our list and map, please email Mary Beth Miller, CFSA Education Coordinator.
Consumer Resources – Map of Where to Get Local Food: Many farms across North and South Carolina have added on-farm pickups, home delivery & online pre-orders to accommodate for social distancing. Check out our listings and map page for more information and to find farm locations near you!
Updated on 3/19: Farmers Market Advocacy: As long as grocery stores are open, farmers markets should be, too. As we address the issue with state governments, we want to empower you. Our policy team, along with community partners, created a toolkit to help communities fight to keep their farmers markets open (and to re-open markets that have been wrongly closed). Want further updates like these directly? Sign up for our policy action alerts to have action prompts from our policy team be sent right to your inbox. You can also support the effort by using #FarmersMarketsAreGroceryStores on social media and share the toolkit widely.