A listing of resources for value-added agriculture entrepreneurs, direct farm marketers and agritourism operators that may be helpful during the COVID-19 outbreak is provided below. These resources have been gathered from many sources including UT Extension, other universities/Extension programs, government agencies and industry organizations. The list will continue to be updated as additional resources are created or discovered. If you are aware of a resource that should be considered for listing, please email Megan Bruch Leffew.
General COVID-19 and Crisis Resources for Individuals and Businesses
Financial Assistance Programs for Small Businesses
Special note on financial assistance programs: All businesses (including farms/farm businesses) are eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program Loans if they meet program eligibility requirements (see resources below for additional information). Interested producers who meet program eligibility requirements should contact their bankers to apply immediately. Loans will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Webinars
- SBA Relief Loan Webinar for the Tennessee Grape and Wine Industry (Added 04/06/2020)
Thursday, April 9, 1pmCDT (View Recording) - National Federation of Independent Businesses Webinar Recordings (Added 04/06/2020)
- NFIB Coronavirus Part I: How Small Business, Workers and Workplaces Should Respond to COVID-19 – March 13
- NFIB Coronavirus Part II: Congressional and Legal Update for Small Business – March 20
- NFIB Coronavirus Part III: Financial Resources and Updates for Small Business – March 30
- NFIB Coronavirus Part IV: How to Apply for a Coronavirus Small Business Loan – April 3
Mental Health Resources
Tennessee Statewide Crisis Line
Telephone: 1-855-274-7471
Website
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Toll-free English: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
Toll-free Spanish: 1-888-628-9454
TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (1-800-799-4889)
English Website
Spanish Website
For medical or life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1.
COVID-19 Resources for Farmers Markets
Resources for Farms and Specific Types of Value-Added, Direct Marketing and Agritourism Enterprises
- Keeping Agritourism Employees Healthy this Season (Added 09/04/2020)
- First Aid at Agritourism Venues during COVID-19 Pandemic (Added 09/04/2020)
- Agritourism Twilight Q&A: Operating During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Added 08/07/2020)
(View Recording) (Slides) (List of Additional Resources) (Questions and Answers from the Agritourism Twilight Q&A) - NAFDMA Agritourism Preparations for Fall (View Recording) (Additional Resources)
- A Guide for Community Gardens During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Added 07/07/2020)
- Considerations for Marketing Meat Twilight Q&A: Operating During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Added 05/14/2020)
(View Recording) (View Slides) (Updated 05/28/2020)
Resources for Farmers Interested in Marketing Meat (Added 06/03/2020) - Key Thoughts for Distribution (Added 05/05/2020)
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture Letter Connecting Producers with Food Banks (Added 04/24/2020)
- Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Twilight Q&A: Operating During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Added 04/23/2020)
Thursday, April 30, 2020 at pm CDT/9pm EDT (View Recording) (View Slides) - Garden Center Twilight Q&A: Operating During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Added 04/16/2020)
Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 8pm CDT/9pm EDT (View Recording) - Operating a Garden Center during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Added 05/14/2020)
- Cleaning, Sanitizing and Understanding Disinfection for Fresh Produce Growers (View Recording) (Session Notes) (Added 04/16/2020)
- Pick-Your-Own Twilight Q&A: Operating During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Hosted by UT Extension and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (Added 04/16/2020)
Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 8pm CDT/9pm EDT (View Recording)
Considerations for Operating a Pick-Your-Own Operation During the COVID-19 Pandemic – CPA Info #373 (Added 04/24/2020) - Managing a U-Pick Operation During the COVID-19 Crisis
Hosted by Ohio State University Extension
Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at 8pm EDT (View Recording) - COVID-19 Preventative Measures: Cloth Face Coverings for Food Employees (Added 04/21/2020)
- COVID-19 Resources for Ag Communities (Added 04/08/2020)
- Considerations on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) for Farm Operations
- Novel Coronavirus Prevention and Control for Farms (Added 03/30/2020)
- A Guide for Local Producers to Navigate the COVID-19 Outbreak
- Updates on the H-2A Program in the Midst of COVID-19
- Expansion of the Categories of H-2 Visa Applicants Whose Applications Can Be Decided Without an In-person Interview – Update as of March 27, 2020 (Added March 30, 2020) (English Version) (Spanish Version)
- Information to Protect Farmworkers and Their Employers in the Midst of COVID-19 (Added 04/14/2020)
- UT Vegetable Production COVID-19 Resources (Added 03/30/2020)
- You Are Going To Need A Different Marketing Plan
- COVID-19 FAQ for U-Pick Farms
- Letter from Tennessee’s Commissioner of Agriculture to Pick-Your-Own Farms (Added 04/06/2020)
- COVID-19 FAQ for Community Gardens (Added 03/30/2020
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) for Food Handlers (English version) (Spanish version)
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Frequently Asked Questions for Take Out and Food Safety (Added 03/26/2020)
- Food Industry Executive: Coronavirus Resources for the Food Industry
- National Restaurant Association Coronavirus Information and Resources (Added 03/26/2020)
- COVID-19 Business Continuity and Planning Basics (Added 03/30/2020)
- EPA Disinfectants for Use Against COVID-19 (Added 03/30/2020)
- COVID-19 Considerations for Fruit and Vegetable Growers by University of Vermont Extension (Added 03/26/2020)
- Farm Commons (Farm Law Resources) Podcasts (Added 04/14/2020)
Resources for Farmers Considering New Market Channels
In the midst of the COVID-19 situation, producers may be thinking about marketing channel options. Online sales and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) may be among those options. Be mindful of the many factors that need to be considered before starting online sales or a CSA in any circumstance and, particularly, the special precautions that should be considered and followed related to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
Resources for Farmers Considering Farm to School Sales
The Tennessee Department of Education is seeking farmers that can sell their products to schools this spring and summer and will house farmers’ information in a database. Click here to submit your information to the database. To learn more about Farm to School and the specific needs of the schools during the current emergency, contact Rachel Draper, Farm to School Specialist with the TN Department of Education at Rachel.E.Draper@tn.gov with questions.
Resources for Farmers Considering Online Sales
Resources for Farmers Considering a CSA
Contributions to this list have been made by UT Extension Specialists:
- Jared Bruhin, Center for Profitable Agriculture
- David Bilderback, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics – MANAGE
- Troy Dugger, Center for Profitable Agriculture
- Kevin Ferguson, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics – MANAGE
- Rob Holland, Center for Profitable Agriculture
- David Hughes, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
- Megan Bruch Leffew, Center for Profitable Agriculture
- David Lockwood, Department of Plant Sciences
- Charley Martinez, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
- Mark Morgan, Department of Food Science
- Danny Morris, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics – MANAGE
- Aaron Smith, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
- Sreedhar Upendram, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
- Margarita Velandia, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
- Annette, Wszelaki, Department of Plant Sciences
Contributors from industry partners:
- Adam Acampora, Tennessee Farm Winegrowers Alliance
- Lee Manning, Mountain Harvest Kitchen
- Wendy Sneed, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
- Kacey Troup, Tennessee Department of Agriculture