Hurricane Helene was a monster, wow. Seeing the pictures and videos of the devastation that the storm wrought is kind of mind-blowing. At least for someone who grew up far away from hurricane-prone areas. The sheer scale of flooding and the subsequent damage is hard to comprehend, and it's sometimes hard to discern how to help.
As a farmer, I'm aware of how tenuous our hold on success and security can be in this profession. Even something as simple and familiar as a late spring cold snap can wreak havoc on our crops, and that's nothing compared to a hurricane. These extreme weather events that are becoming more and more common will test our local food systems to their breaking point. And it is already happening.
So many farms in North Carolina and elsewhere along Hurricane Helene's path have been devastated by the flooding and general systems' breakdown. I have seen photos of entire fields washed out, just a muddy swath left behind where there was once a flourishing set of fall crops. Entire sweet potato harvests have been decimated. High tunnels are twisted and ripped apart. Tractors have been submerged and severely damaged by the high waters.
As farmers we all prepare ourselves for some amount of weather drama each year, that's just part of what being a farmer is and always has been. But with climate change increasing the extremity and frequency of weather events worldwide, we can't possibly for what's to come.
Just imagine putting in months' worth of preparation, planning, and hard physical work into your job, your career, your livelihood, and then seeing it all literally washed away over the course of a few days. This is exactly what has happened to many, many farms and other local businesses in North Carolina. Crops like sweet potatoes that get planted way back in May or June and grow slowly underground aren't something that farmers can just try again with. So many of our typical fall crops like brussels sprouts, winter squash, cabbage, and more need significant time to mature and when they get wiped out with no warning farms are left without a core component of their marketable product for the year.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, local businesses, non-profits, and individuals in some of the hardest hit areas have come together to support their neighbors. We deeply appreciate and admire the work they are doing and want to pitch in as fellow farmers. One Acre Farm, and more specifically Farmer Mike, has a history of jumping in after a natural disaster and bringing aid where it is needed.
In the spirit of this tradition, we have found a fundraiser through an organization called Happy Dirt, an organic produce grower and distributor working with many farms in the Durham, North Carolina area. They have connected us with Clem's Organic Gardens who experienced severe crop damage but even worse damage to their three large production greenhouses. Read his request below:
"On Sept 26-27, Hurricane Helene brought powerful winds and floodwaters to our farm. We experienced more crop damage than we've ever had, but our most immediate concern is damage to our greenhouses. We lost the plastic covering three large production greenhouses to wind and our wood pellet-fired heating furnaces were damaged by flooding. Our focus right now is getting our greenhouses back up and running as soon as possible before winter comes so that we can have a successful winter production season and keep our year-round staff employed.
I am requesting assistance with the immediate expenses of purchasing replacement greenhouse plastic ($4784) and furnace parts ($2040), as well as the labor expense of covering the greenhouses (estimated $2112), for a total of $8936."
Our plan is to collect donations from our CSA and wider community to assist in his rebuilding efforts. So, if you have some extra funds to pass along, please consider donating to this cause to help this North Carolina farm get back on their feet. Every little bit helps!
The aftermath of natural disasters are when local food systems are at their most vulnerable AND most needed. When roads are washed out and regular food shipments can't make it into an area, local farms are the ones who are often hardest hit but also in the position to provide the most aid. But only if they are supported and funded and given a hand when extreme weather knocks them down.
Please send any donations to One Acre Farm via Venmo, Paypal, or by sending us a check! We know you all understand the importance of local agriculture and we want to lend a hand, from one farming community to another.
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