Farmers at Sharing Our Roots are fighting to survive an abnormally wet summer.
The organization, which runs a 163-acre farm located north of Northfield, advocates for equitable land access to immigrant, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ farmers and gardeners. Sharing Our Roots supports 200-plus immigrant, BIPOC, & LGBTQ+ farmers and gardeners across Dakota and Rice counties with land access and shared infrastructure.
Charlie Zieke, communications director for Sharing Our Roots, said the unrelenting rains endured in June that have stretched into July have caused significant crop failures for the group’s emerging farmers.
“In June, Dakota County received 17 inches of rain, making it the wettest spring on record and bringing historic floods to southern Minnesota,” Zieke said. “Currently, many of our farmers’ fields have standing water, making it impossible to replant what has been lost.”
Unfortunately, crop insurance is inaccessible to most farmers at Sharing Our Roots, which means these small-scale growers are responsible for all crop failure and market sale losses.
“Our farmers have reported financial impacts of $3,500 to $40,000 in lost crops, inputs and revenue, even without factoring in the cost of labor,” said Zieke.
“In the last two seasons alone, our farm has experienced intense drought and unprecedented rainfall,” they said. “We know that these extreme weather events will become more common and severe in coming years.”
Zieke said 100% of all donations received through the Farmer Climate Relief Fund will go directly to immigrant and emerging farmers who have suffered economic impact from extreme flooding.
Lucia Possehl, commons cohort manager, said, in addition to the challenges that many emerging farmers already face with affordable long-term land access, finding markets, and establishing small farm businesses, the cohort of farmers at Sharing Our Roots Farm have been hit hard by this season’s heavy rainfall.
“We’ve had farmers report losses anywhere from $3,500-$40,000 in crops and potential sales due to flooding,” said Possehl. “Farmers have also reported major losses in culturally relevant crops, including cowpea leaves, chinsaga, and managu. In addition to these losses, I am also seeing farmers struggle with mental health and feelings of hopelessness around continuing to move forward with their farming operations.”
Possehl explained that the team is working together to provide the best support it can to farmers on the land, given the challenging circumstances.
“We are opening up small sections of dryer land for the farmers who have been the most affected and were able to provide some financial relief to farmers, thanks to a huge outpouring of support from our community.”
She added that it is important that, as we continue to engage in the conversation around equitable land access, we note that subprime and marginal farmland will continue to be what is financially accessible to emerging farmers.
“This type of farmland will be even more vulnerable to extreme climate events, due to the generally poor drainage and soil health of this type of financially accessible farmland,” said Possehl. “It feels extremely pressing to me to come together to make considerable headway on climate resiliency planning for all farmers, but especially for those immigrant, BIPOC, and emerging farmers who do not have the safety net of federal crop insurance, generational wealth, and land tenure to back them in times of climate crisis.”
“I strongly believe that our community can feed ourselves. We are lucky in Minnesota to have an abundance of fertile farmland and communities of emerging farmers ready to begin their operations — but with intensifying climate change and extreme weather patterns, we must work together and get the infrastructure and support systems in place to help our farmers be able to do what they do best — growing nourishing, culturally relevant food for our communities,” she said.
Farmer Climate Relief Fund
Zieke explained that the emergence of the Farmer Climate Relief Fund is an effort to bring together foundations, community members, eaters, and family members alike who are committed to building a future where immigrant and emerging farmers have the opportunity to grow food for our communities.
Sharing Our Roots has been able to offer $500 in emergency disaster relief to each affected farm operation at the farm. However, this is not sufficient to meet the level of financial relief needed, Zieke said.
With no government or state funding yet available and no insurance payments possible for farmers, Zieke said the organization was asking the community for support.
“We are raising $10,000 this year to provide relief to farmers, and with the community’s help, hope to surpass this goal to build a resilient safety net fund for future farming seasons.”
With inequitable governmental crop insurance policies and increasing severe climate disasters, Zieke said Sharing Our Roots must continue to build a culture of commoning and a shared economy that works to directly support our farmers into the future.
Creating a community-sustained safety net for local growers is the goal.
Alissa Jacobsen, a farm manager for Sharing Our Roots, said this year’s unprecedented rainfall has been extremely challenging for farmers.
“It started with a late season since the fields were too wet to get into with the tractor and then once farmers were finally able to get their plants in the ground, the wet season has only compounded challenges,” said Jacobsen. “Every farmer has faced loss, with the added bug and weed pressure from the cool, wet spring, to full crop loss with their fields being flooded.”
Jacobsen added that, in mid-July, the farmers should be in the middle of summer abundance with their harvests, but they have little to nothing to be able to bring to market at this time.
“It’s further discouraging to know that while most row crop farmers get help from crop insurance and government programs our farmers are not eligible for that financial relief,” she explained. “They bear the risk and loss personally, and this is a difficult situation to bounce back from. While Sharing Our Roots is doing everything we can to help support our farmers, the situation is still grim, especially with more rain in the forecast.”
Jacobsen said she’s been impressed with the farmer’s grit to keep going in the face of so much loss this season, but at the same time, “it has been heartbreaking to see them work so hard for so little return.”
MARKET CANCELED Due to major crop failure caused by extreme flooding, Sharing Our Roots’ July 10 Emerging Farmers’ Market is canceled. Most farmers have nothing to sell after weeks of rain. The next market is scheduled for Aug. 7 from 4-7 p.m. Fields are beginning to recover, and we expect to have a vibrant Aug. 7 market. To support farmers this month, instead of purchasing their crops, please consider donating to our Farmer Climate Relief Fund. a7caa251-06fe-44d2-bb40-4fc4053c1b01
Editor’s Note Look out for a story in the July 24 edition of the Northfield News and at northfieldnews.com on Sharing Our Roots’ recent expansion. aad74c51-3817-46d3-ac66-3ced85a94cdd
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