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March 31, 2020

Responding to COVID-19: Resources for Farms & Communities

KRC will continue to update and maintain this list to help share resources and navigate questions.  Please reach out to us using any of our points of contact to share resources, updates and how you or your community is working through this complicated time. Check back here for updates and new information.  

Stay connected through these communication and social media channels. E-mail – info at kansasruralcenter.org; Phone – 866-579-5469; Facebook – @kansasruralcenter, Twitter – @ksruralcenter, Instagram – @kansasruralcenter.

COVID-19 Guidance for Farms & Communities   Farm & Local Food FAQs  

*This is not a comprehensive list but we are happy to add resources that may be useful to the KRC community.

Kansas Ag Stress –  Mental health is more important than ever right now to take care of.  Kansas Ag Stress Resources provide information and ways to connect with professionals during these times of stress.  https://www.kansasagstress.org/  

Local Food and Farm directories & food hubs – Kansas producers are still here ready and willing to get safe food to Kansans. Please reach out to your farmers to learn how they can safely get products to you.  

From the Land of Kansas – Statewide
Kansas Farmers Market Directory 
Kansas Farmers Connection – Statewide Facebook page
Shop Kansas Farms – Statewide Facebook group
ICT Food Circle – Wichita foodshed
KC Food Circle – KC foodshed
Growing Lawrence – Lawrence foodshed
High Plains Food Coop – Northwest Kansas
KC Food Hub – KC/Lawrence foodshed
Rolling Prairie Farmers Alliance –  KC/Lawrence foodshed
Cultivate KC -KC/Lawrence Foodshed
Republic County Local Food – Republic County, KS
Bourbon County Local Food Directory – Bourbon County, KS

Food and Farm Policy Councils – Connect with a local food and farm council to learn how you can help locally.  Find a list on page 14 of KRC’s 2019 Town Hall report or reach out to the Kansas Alliance for Wellness.  A few are also listed below.

Kansas Schools – Child Nutrition programs provide a steady, reliable market for local products.  Summer meal programs will be stronger then ever this year and local producers are invited to help provide ingredients for meals. See our post “Put Our State on Children’s Plates” for more information.

Kansas Leadership Center Support – The Kansas Leadership Center is offering live, distance training sessions, Mondays through Thursdays, at no charge to anyone during the COVID-19 pandemic. For a full schedule and more details, visit their website.

Gaining Ground Webinar Series – Produced by K-State’s Urban Food Systems Program, Gaining Ground is a free webinar series geared toward agriculture educators. The goal of Gaining Ground is to equip agriculture educators with knowledge from national experts that support Urban Food Systems enterprises in the region. Find all archived and upcoming webinars here.

K-State Extension Produce Safety – This site includes resources on USDA GAP auditing, FSMA, produce safety guidance and COVID-19 guidance for produce safety.

K-State Tips for Shopping Safely at Farmers Markets

How to sell market farm products online & other alternative markets – Oregon Tilth Webinar – Online Sales Platforms for Farmers 
NC State Hosting Free Webinars on Creating a Free Online Store for Your Farm
Grassroot Startup – How to Start Selling Online & Shipping in 5 Days
MOSES – Attract Local Customers Online
Online Platforms for Farmers and Producers – A large collection of webinars, resources, and tips shared by National Farm to School Network Partners to support small farmers and producers impacted by COVID-19 to utilize e-commerce and mobile platforms. 
K-State Urban Food Systems – Food Hubs and Alternative Markets, April 23, 11 am CST
Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network – Farm to Freezer: The Logistics of Online Sales & Shipping Meat webinar recording.

Marketing Software Platforms
*KRC doesn’t endorse any of these nor is this a comprehensive list. Please do your research to find the best fit for your farm business.

The National Young Farmers Coalition has published a “Farmers Guide to Direct Sales Software Platforms” which compares and provides the basic information needed to make a decision on the best platform for you.

Electronic Payment Systems
*KRC doesn’t endorse any of these nor is this a comprehensive list. Please do your research to find the best fit for your farm business.
Authorize.net
Paypal.com
Stripe.com
Squareup.com
Dwolla.com

Packaging solutions for Delivering/Shipping
*KRC doesn’t endorse any of these nor is this a comprehensive list. Please do your research to find the best fit for your farm business.
Insulated Products Corp
KodiaKooler
MPGlobal
Periwrap
TemperPack

Technical Resources on ATTRA Website Now Free of Cost – You no longer need to pay an annual subscription fee or individual publication fee to access any of the digital publications, videos, podcasts, and other resources and materials.  ATTRA’s services are available to farmers, ranchers, market gardeners, Extension agents, researchers, educators, farm organizations, and others involved in agriculture, especially those who are economically disadvantaged or belong to traditionally undeserved communities  .https://attra.ncat.org/

GAPs Cost Share Funds Available to Kansas Produce Growers – K-State Research and Extension (KSRE) has U.S. Department of Agriculture GAPs cost share funding available for Kansas produce growers. These funds are available for Kansas farmers who are re-applying for USDA GAPs certification or for farms who are applying for USDA GAPs certification for the first time. For more information, contact:  Londa Nwadike, Tel: 913-307-7391, Email: lnwadike@ksu.edu

EQIP helps farmers pay for high tunnels, other conservation project – EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) provides financial support for conservation projects on working farmland.  A program of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services, some examples of EQIP-funded practices include: High tunnels, Irrigation equipment, Filter strips, Conservation crop rotation, and Integrated pest management. NRCS has several great resources on the advance payment option: a web page, case study, and 1-pager (PDF).  Application deadline for the 2020 fiscal year has past for Kansas, however applications are accepted on a rolling basis.  Contact your local NRCS office to find out what options you have. 

March 31, 2020