How are Richmond and Huntington's farmers doing?

Maple Wind Farm in Richmond. Courtesy photo.

Farmers across the United States have faced enormous losses amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with economists predicting 2020 will leave the entire agricultural industry in the red. But some area farmers have watched revenues rise, instead. What makes Vermont different? Farmers say the keys are strong local markets and community support.

“We have not been really negatively affected by the changes that Covid has brought, primarily because we don't sell to restaurants,” said Justin Rich, owner of Burnt Rock Farm in Huntington. “The CSA world and the grocery store world have been doing quite well with produce... we've been fortunate to be in that world,” said Rich, whose biggest customers are local stores, multi-farm CSAs, and produce aggregators.

While Rich is anticipating increased revenue, he also said the pandemic has brought rising costs. These include new packaging requirements, sanitization, and lots of pre-bagging. Efficiency has gone down, too. “It’s kind of hard to quantify, but people don't do as well with wearing masks all day,” Rich said.

 Rich appreciates the support he has gotten from this community, adding that people value relationships with farmers and enjoy knowing where their food comes from. He’s hopeful it will last. “When people eat fresher, higher quality vegetables it's kind of addictive. You get people in the door from a pandemic and a lot of folks will stick around,” Rich said.

 Beth Whiting, owner of Richmond’s Maple Wind Farm, also reported increased sales. She noted that outbreaks amid large meat-processing plants encouraged people to buy from a local, trusted source. “We’re in good shape… we're just so blessed that we have such strong community support,” Whiting said. “We increased our production to meet that demand.”  

But the pandemic has brought new challenges to Maple Wind Farm, as well, where the slaughter line now includes plastic dividers between workers. Since workers must stay home and get tested when they feel unwell, the farm has had to increase their workforce. “We would not have been in as good of a situation monetarily if we had not gotten PPE money from the government… if we didn't get that we certainly would have been operating at a loss,” Whiting said, adding that the farm also received some USDA funding.

Jess and Debbie Moultroup, owners of the Moultroup Family farm in Richmond, said they’ve been relatively lucky, too. Since all work is done by family members, the pandemic has been less disruptive for the Moultrops, who sold out of meat early in the pandemic.

“It's been a banner year for selling meat,” said Debbie Moultrop. “So, I guess we're just really thankful that it's been [going] pretty well for us, and sorry for all those people who are having more trouble.”

The relative success of local farms is a stark contrast with the national picture. Farmers were already vulnerable when the pandemic arrived; by the end of 2019 farm debt reached its highest point since 2013, according to the USDA Chief Economist in Farming, Robert Johansson. Prices have declined as demand has sagged, said Johansson, and some farms have struggled to find workers. He predicts these impacts to continue well into 2021.

Each local farmer attributed their ongoing success to the local community. “We’ve gotten a lot of support from our customers, we appreciate that,” said Justin Rich. “We are happy to play our part.” Beth Whiting agreed. “You know all the people that are hurting during this time,” she said. “We just feel blessed to be able to put good food on peoples’ tables.”

The Northeast Organic Farming Association’s COVID-19 relief fund is raising money to support local farms. To find a CSA near you, search NOFA’s directory.