Farmers and producers had to deal with the twin challenges of COVID-19 and drought during 2020. They’ll likely continue this year, but agribusinesses look at the pandemic-spurred demand for local food as a bright spot.
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Maine’s farmers and food producers had to adapt not only to the challenges of COVID-19, but to a drought that lasted most of the spring and summer, and those challenges will continue into 2021, say those in the industry.
Much of the adaptation was to find new buyers after the state’s restaurants shut down, offset a little by an uptick in consumer focus on local food.
“Many businesses have already shifted their operations to adapt to loss of markets and disruptions due to COVID-19, and we expect to continue to see farms find innovative ways to continue to feed their communities through direct-to-consumer and on-farm markets,” says Ellen Sabina, Maine Farmland Trust outreach and communications director.
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, the farmland trust, the farmers market group and other agricultural organizations will focus in 2021 on making sure consumers continue to buy locally produced food.
Sarah Alexander, MOFGA director, says that supporting local organic producers not only helps businesses survive, but also helps rural communities. “We have an opportunity to increase the food that we’re producing in Maine to support both our communities and regional consumer demands,” she says. “When we grow more food, we also have the ability to address climate change by growing organically and tending to the soil health.”
MOFGA, which represents 500 growers and producers, plans to focus on food system resilience in 2021, including promoting a public policy platform that has an emphasis on the role that organic agriculture has in mitigating the effects of climate change. Another goal is simply ensuring farmers have the resources and support they need to succeed.
In the immediate future, farmers’ markets can play a critical role, says Jimmie DeBiasi, director of Maine Federation of Farmers Markets. In 2020, consumers turned to farmers’ markets to buy fresh food. “I think we can expect that again this fall and winter at farmers’ markets,” DeBiasi says.
The federal relief bill approved at the end of December included $13 billion nationally for farmers financially hurt by the pandemic, but more help will be needed, those in the industry say.
“We hope to see real investment in Maine’s food and farm landscape from the local, state, and federal levels,” Sabina says. “The pandemic has underscored the value of a vibrant local food and farm system — one nimble enough to adapt and meet the evolving needs of Maine’s communities.”
