NoCo Farm Flood Relief Coalition Aims to Help Farmers Gain Ground
NOCO Farm Flood Relief Coalition is stepping up to help farmers, landowners and ranchers devastated by the September flooding. As Colorado digs out and damaged is assessed, there is no question the rebuilding phase is immense with upwards of 36% of farms affected. Right now, the coalition is raising money to help.
“Our local farmers have experienced a lethal blow to their fall crops, their water infrastructure and their primary source of income,” said Michael Brownlee, co-founder of Local Food Shift Group in Boulder.
“As I saw the generosity of Coloradans literally pour into the area, I noticed farmers seemed to be left out of the rush to recovery,” added Kimberly Lord Stewart, a local food journalist. Brownlee agreed; “While millions of dollars in flood relief funds are pouring into the area, we’ve observed that almost none is targeted to aid local farms, ranches and local food-related businesses.”
Stewart approached the FEMA disaster recovery center in Longmont with a question, “If I were a farmer, who could help me?” She discovered that if assistance existed, it would be difficult to find. Within a week of her discovery, the local coalition formed and it continues to expand its efforts. Now, local farmers can turn toward the NOCO Farm Flood Relief Coalition. Here are some ways others are championing for farmers.
- Tables to Farms and Chef Bradford Heap, chef-owner of SALT in Boulder and Coltera in Niwot have teamed up to provide support and resources for restaurants that want to raise funds to help their local farm suppliers recover.
- Non-profits like the Living GREEN Foundation, Slow Food Boulder, Slow Food Denver, Grow Local Colorado and Mountain Flower Dairy took up the cause by hosting events to raise funds. In turn, dozens of non-profits, grocers, restaurants and community foundations, all of which believe in a thriving local food hub are supporting future events. New organizations interested in contributing resources are welcome to join the coalition.
