The Farmstand is a blog written by the staff and guests of the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA, covering key issues relevant to the development of markets, policies, and communities that support thriving, socially just, and environmentally sound family farms.
Recent Posts
- Dec. 1, 6-8 p.m. Community Conversation: The Racial Wealth Gap Simulation (10/21/2020) - The Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation is an interactive tool that helps people understand the connections among racial equity, hunger, poverty, and wealth. All are welcome. ...>Read More
- Announcing the School for Food Justice, Faith, and Storytelling (10/21/2020) - RAFI-USA is pleased to announce a new fellowship program. This fellowship will bring together faith leaders from across North Carolina to learn about the root causes of hunger, uncover and challenge the dominant narrative around why people are hungry, and learn how story-based strategies can transform the conversation on hunger in communities. ...>Read More
- CTTT Technical Assistance Spotlight: Norman UMC and Richmond Fresh (10/13/2020) - RAFI’s Come to the Table program has been providing mini-grants to rural United Methodist Churches throughout North Carolina. We had a conversation with one grantee, Dave Clark of Norman UMC and God’s Garden and Davon Goodwin of the Sandhills AgInnovation Center to discuss their food ministry and the impact of the grant. ...>Read More
- Grant Opportunities for Farms (10/6/2020) - In this post, we share information about three grant opportunities for farms: USDA's second round of CFAP funding, NCDA's reimbursement for organic certification, and FACT's Fund-a-Farmer grants for livestock and poultry farmers. ...>Read More
- Political Violence, Community Safety, and Faith Leadership (10/6/2020) - With the 2020 election nearing, the U.S. is in danger of experiencing political violence, which is sadly nothing new for our country. In this blog, we discuss how faith leaders and communities can work together to take concrete, proactive steps to both prevent and if necessary respond, to political violence. ...>Read More
- Oct. 5-8, 7-8 p.m. Community Conversation: “What Can Rural Communities and People of Faith Do to Prevent Suicide?” (10/1/2020) - Join RAFI-USA, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - North Carolina, Partners in Health and Wholeness, and North Carolina Agromedicine Institute for this series of events focused on the intersection of mental health, faith communities, and rural communities. ...>Read More
- Oct. 9, 10-11:30 a.m. Community Conversation: “Are You Surviving Well? Wells in the Wilderness” (9/30/2020) - While clergy are often tasked with replenishing the minds and spirits of their parishioners, they themselves are often left without nourishment. ...>Read More
- Returning Economic Vitality to Livestock and Poultry (9/29/2020) - On the eve of our first presidential debate of 2020, we want to highlight a letter RAFI-USA and others sent to both presidential candidates on the issue of fair competition in the livestock sector for family farmers and ranchers. ...>Read More
- When Diversity Isn’t Enough: Experiences of Board Members of Color at Agricultural and Environmental Nonprofits (9/28/2020) - We are proud to share this new report in which Dr. Fatimah Salleh, interviewer and lead author, lifts up the words of eleven people of color who serve on the boards of predominantly white agricultural and environmental nonprofits, highlighting the dynamics, rewards, and challenges that they have experienced in that role. It also offers recommendations, based on those interviews, for boards that are trying to become more diverse and includes a list of relevant resources. ...>Read More
- RAFI-USA co-hosts NC state candidate forum (9/28/2020) - On September 9, we joined with several other organizations to present an NC State Candidates Forum on the topics of farming, food, and hunger. We invited candidates from both sides of the aisle to join us running for the offices of Labor Commissioner, Agriculture Commissioner, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Lieutenant Governor. ...>Read More
- RAFI-USA Helps Lead NC Workers Week of Action (9/28/2020) - Over the past two weeks, RAFI-USA joined more than 120 labor, farm, faith, and civil rights organizations to call on North Carolina government officials to take strong action to protect food workers. Our social media hashtag, #ProtectNCWorkers, reached tens-of-thousands of people. ...>Read More
- Understanding the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (9/28/2020) - The second round of CFAP funding is now open. We at RAFI-USA want to give you the best information and assistance we can to navigate the complicated federal COVID-19 relief programs available. This communication is about the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP-2). ...>Read More
- 124 Groups Urge NC Gov Officials to Issue COVID-19 Protections for Essential Food Workers (9/25/2020) - More than 120 labor, farm, environmental, faith, and civil rights groups representing millions of people in North Carolina and across the country sent a letter today to NC government officials calling for immediate, comprehensive COVID-19 protections for essential workers in the food supply chain. ...>Read More
- Sept. 30, 2:30-4 p.m. Webinar: Farm Legacy and Estate Planning: Strategies for Risk, Resilience, and Culture (9/17/2020) - Join us on Wednesday, September 30 from 2:30-4:00 p.m. for a webinar on farm legacy and estate planning. In this webinar, we will explore tools to bolster farm resilience and strategies needed to ensure a successful transfer of the land to the next generation. ...>Read More
- Sept. 30, 2-3:30 p.m. Community Conversation: “How Can We Heal Money Wounds? Clergy Respond to Fiscal Trauma” (9/6/2020) - Clergy are trained to minister to others, often at the expense of the themselves and their families. In the wake of a pandemic and political turmoil, clergy are called upon to re-imagine personal and community financial well-being and to minister to the wounds created by fiscal trauma and economic inequity. ...>Read More
- Farms, Food, and Hunger: A Conversation with Candidates (9/1/2020) - Register for a virtual, nonpartisan candidate conversation on Sept 9th to hear state-level candidates discuss important agriculture and food issues in our state. ...>Read More
- Community Conversation: “How Did We Get Here, and What Can I Do? Democracy, Land, and Liberation” (8/29/2020) - Join us September 14 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. for a Community Conversation on the connections between land and the historic struggle for civil rights and liberation by Black farmers, and the struggle against voter suppression today. ...>Read More
- Mario Delgado Packs It Up for His Customers During COVID-19 (8/28/2020) - Charlotte Minguez, RAF-USA’s Just Foods Program Coordinator, recently talked with farmer Mario Delgado about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected his farming operations. Mario says that he had to quickly convert to a pre-order system, which was helped by the Geer Street Restaurant, who allowed him to use their parking lot for order pickups. ...>Read More
- We’re Here for You: RAFI-USA’s Farmer Hotline (8/28/2020) - Farming presents many challenges, and so often, these challenges are out of a farmer's control. Natural disasters, droughts, low yield, low prices — worldwide pandemics — all can seem overwhelming. RAFI-USA’s Farmer Hotline is staffed by Benny Bunting, Craig Watts, and Tyler Whitley Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ...>Read More
- RAFI-USA Grants $130,500 to Support Members of its Farmers of Color Network (7/29/2020) - RAFI-USA today announced the first-ever round of grants from its new Farmers of Color Network Infrastructure Fund. The program provides grants up to $5,000 to farmers for projects to increase farm viability, support farmers’ local food economies, and preserve traditional farming practices. A total of $131,500 was granted to 27 farmers in NC, SC, and Virginia. ...>Read More