The agriculture industry and farming community are essential to our economy and the daily well-being of families across North Carolina. While the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing significant challenges and disruptions, NC State Extension will support our farmers and agribusinesses throughout this event. Together we will see it through, one day at a time.

While many resources are provided on the Farming Resources page linked below, we have included a selection of materials on this page to highlight some key information that is available.

COVID-19 Farming Resources

General Agribusiness Guidance

• CDC Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools and Homes
• CDC Guidance for Reopening Workplaces During COVID-19 Pandemic (Decision Tree)
• COVID-19 Guidance for Businesses (N.C. Department of Health and Human Services)
• Includes industry-specific guidance based on CDC/OSHA recommendations for businesses, farms, packhouses, restaurants and other settings.
• Handling COVID-19: Best Practices for Agribusiness
• Handling COVID-19: Produce Farms and Packinghouses
• Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to COVID-19 (CDC)
• Food Service FAQ: General Questions and Employee Health
• NC State Extension COVID-19 Food Safety Resources

Agritourism

• Agritourism operators are encouraged to join the N.C. Agritourism Network Association, as they are recommending actions and procedures to members as things progress (contact Kristy Phillips at kristyncana@gmail.com to learn more).
• Sign up for the NCDA&CS Agritourism Marketing Office’s Monday Marketing Message.
• Watch the COVID-19 Response Roundtable from the North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association.
• The Visit NC Farms app has become a vital way for growers and producers to connect to consumers for fresh and local food, with updates and real-time notifications via county/regional app administrators to help keep their revenue streams going.

Animal Agriculture

• Food Safety Guidance for Bulk Purchases of Frozen Poultry, Meats
• Current Good Manufacturing Practices for Food for Animals and COVID-19
• FDA Fact Sheet on Safe Distribution of Unused Human Food for Use as Animal Food During COVID-19 (View PDF)
• COVID-19 and Your Dairy Farm
• Feed Milling | NC State Extension
• MeatSuite – an online tool for buying and selling locally produced meats in bulk, is being launched early by NC Choices in response to the coronavirus. Add your farm or find a farmer.
• Preventive Controls for Animal Food: Additional Resources
• Dairy Producers: Guide to Land Application of Discarded Milk

Cleaning and Sanitization

• NC State Extension COVID-19 Food Safety Resources
• EPA List of Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Guidance for North Carolina Farms (English)
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Guidance for North Carolina Farms (Spanish)

Community Gardens

• COVID-19 FAQ for Community Gardens: Steps for Garden Managers and Gardeners

Farmers Markets / Retail

Find more guidance and best practices for preparing for COVID-19 and managing risk for food environments such as restaurants, grocery stores, food banks, gardens and farms at NC State Extension COVID-19 Food Safety Resources.

Farmers Markets

• FAQ: Handling COVID-19 at Farmers Markets
• COVID-19 Guidance for Farm Stand Operators

Consumer Sales

• USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program
• Starter Guide to Online Sales Platforms for Farmers
• Food Safety Guidance for Bulk Purchases of Frozen Poultry, Meats
• A Guide to Alternative Delivery Systems for Local Producers During COVID-19 Pandemic (Purdue)

Retail

• Food Service FAQ: General Questions and Employee Health
• COVID-19 General Guidance for Retail Food Environments
• Is Coronavirus a Concern at Grocery Stores?
• Receiving and Food Packaging for Grocery Stores

Financial Aid

• Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (USDA)
  CFAP will provide financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a 5% (or greater) price decline or who had losses due to market supply chain disruptions related to COVID-19 and face additional significant market costs.
• COVID-19 N.C. Rapid Recovery Program Launched for Small Businesses (Golden LEAF)
  The Golden LEAF Foundation announced $125 million in funding to launch a rapid recovery loan program in response to economic losses related to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Funding will support loans to eligible businesses for up to $50,000 with zero interest and no payments for six months.
• Small Business Guidance and Loan Resources (SBA)
  • Coronavirus Emergency Loans: Small Business Guide and Checklist
    The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act allocated $350 billion to help small businesses keep workers employed amid the pandemic and economic downturn. Known as the Paycheck Protection Program, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued this guide to help you prepare to file for a loan.

    Find more info on which farms are included.

• Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) (Download PDF)
  North Carolina business relief resources related to COVID-19.
• Emergency Mini-Grants for Farmers Impacted by COVID-19 (RAFI-USA)
  RAFI-USA will be distributing emergency mini-grants of $500 to North Carolina farmers who are drastically impacted by market sales disruptions caused by COVID-19. The mini-grant funds may only be used to cover personal household expenses; they are NOT intended to support the farm operation.
• American Farmland Trust | Farmer Relief Fund
  The Farmer Relief Fund will award farmers with cash grants of up to $1,000 each to help them weather market disruptions caused by the coronavirus crisis. Initially, eligible applicants include any small and mid-size direct-market producers with annual gross revenue between $10,000 and $1 million.
• Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) Emergency Mini-Grants for Livestock and Poultry Farmers
  The Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) is offering opportunities for livestock and poultry producers to receive a mini-grant of up to $500.
• COVID-19 Rapid Response Fresh Grants (United Fresh)
  United Fresh Start Foundation will fund (25) $1,000 grants to produce companies and foodservice distributors who can provide fresh fruits and vegetables to schools, community groups and other emergency feeding sites for those in need. If a distributor can donate at least $1,000 worth of produce (or more), the Foundation will reimburse them $1,000.
• Facebook Small Business Grants Program
  Facebook is offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries where they operate.
• N.C. Small Business Resource Guide (Triangle Business Journal)
  Triangle Business Journal has compiled a list of various statewide resources and agencies small businesses in North Carolina can turn to for support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fruits and Vegetables

Find a comprehensive list of resources for fresh produce growers dealing with COVID-19 organized into Labor Availability, Markets and Farm Markets, Cleaning and Sanitation, Worker Health and Hygiene, Trade Association Information and Federal Coronavirus information on NC State Extension’s Fresh Produce Safety site:

• COVID-19 Resources for Fruit and Vegetable Producers

Additional guidance and resources are available below:

• Is Coronavirus an Issue in Produce Production?
• Handling COVID-19 at U-Pick Farms
• United Fresh Produce Association Coronavirus Resources for Fresh Produce

Staffing and Farmworker Safety

• COVID-19 and Farmer Stress Resources
• COVID-19 Resources for Farmers and Farmworkers (Migrant, Seasonal and H2A)
• Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to COVID-19 (CDC)
• National Center for Farmworker Health COVID-19 Resources
• Guidance to Help Prevent Worker Exposure (OSHA)
• What You Should Know About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act and COVID-19 (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
• H2-A Program Updates (USDA)
  • This site changes frequently to check back here often for updates. USDA can also be contacted directly at aglabor@usda.gov.
• Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response (Download PDF)
  • Memo from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security outlining expectations for employees in critical infrastructure industries, including agriculture / food supply.
• Cornell Ag Workforce Development – helpful strategies for planning for unexpected workforce changes

State Agencies

• N.C. Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Response in North Carolina
• N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services COVID-19 Response
• Essential Food and Agriculture Employee Documents – for farm operations and agribusinesses.
• Documents for Temporary Agricultural Worker Bulk Purchases – for farms to purchase for the needs of other farm workers within the camps.
• NC.gov – COVID-19 Information from Across State Government

Official Guidance

The CDC offers extensive guidance to United States citizens and residents about COVID-19. Visit the resources below to learn the status of the disease and how you can respond.

• Cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. (CDC Map)