Moms Across America is committed to creating healthy communities. A healthy community includes access to locally grown organic food and thriving small farmers. The current shutdown has caused cancellations of school and restaurant orders and closure of farmers markets across the country. Many small farmers have had all or nearly all of their income disappear. In addition, many of their workers or volunteers cannot come to their farm and harvest their crops, so crops are rotting in the fields. This situation is dire for small farmers that we depend on for healthy food and healthy communities. We must support them in this time of need!

However, despite giant bail outs for other corporations our government specifically left out small farmers from the CARES stimulus package, so no help is on the way.

We need our small family farms! Now is the time for stepping up, creating more local consumer to farmer connections, and strengthening our society.

Here are 5 ways you can find local farmers and purchase direct:

1. Find local farmers and support them by buying direct! Here is a link to the National CSA Directory. The USDA site has a CSA list that includes organic and non-organic. CSA Day 2019 also has a list.  Also search on Modern Farmer. Grocers that sell “ugly” fruit and veggies are found here. Imperfect Foods delivers to certain areas.
   
   
2. If you are healthy and wear protective gear, ask if you can  help out! Volunteer with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) and help harvest vegetables. It is fun and exciting for the whole family!
   
   
3. To eat more local whole food vegetables and fruits now and support local farmers, start a challenge with your family and friends to Eat Meat Once a Week! Try and share some vegetarian and vegan recipes, make it fun and exciting! Many people also experience weight loss, heart and health benefits when they reduce meat consumption. Maybe your family will too!
   
   
4. Start your own Neighborhood Pod! With a connected block, you can trade extra food from your gardens, resource local grass fed meat that you can purchase as a group for lower pricing, support each-other through hard times and start a Neighborhood watch for safety.
   
   
5. Take the 50/50 Pledge with Weston A. Price Foundation! Promise to make the effort to source 50% of your food locally! Locally grown and pasture raised eggs and meat are better for the environment too! Let's take the pledge! When we put our word on the line, we take actions we normally never would have taken... and we inspire others to join in! 

Thank you for doing what you can to support local small farmers and keeping our communities going during this difficult time. Together we CAN create healthy communities!