A seed farmer’s reflections on COVID-19: “Until this year I’d never been called a hero”

July 16, 2020
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The best thing we can do right now is support the people who need to respond to this crisis and rebuild after it is over: farmers.

By Kim Delaney, organic seed farmer at Hawthorn Farm Organic Seeds

As a farmer I’ve always felt my job was important, but up until this year I’d never been called a hero.

I’m an organic seed farmer in Palmerston, Ontario. For me, this spring was unlike any other. From the moment the pandemic arrived in Canada, I was inundated with customers. My seed orders doubled, then tripled, then reached 10 times more than usual. At one point, I was getting 300 emails an hour.

I was inundated with customers. My seed orders doubled, then tripled, then reached 10 times more than usual. At one point, I was getting 300 emails an hour.

People wanted to purchase my seeds because they were fearful about the pandemic’s impact on food.

It’s a fear that farming communities around the world are also feeling, now more than ever.

In some of the communities SeedChange supports, families are having a hard time buying the food they need, because of rising food prices. So much is riding on this year’s harvest.

As I work in my fields these days, my thoughts are with my fellow farmers in other parts of the world.

How can I help? How can you help?

The best thing we can do right now is support the people who need to respond to this crisis and rebuild after it is over. Those people are farmers.

Farmers abroad are their community’s first, and often last, line of defence against hunger. These farmers need ongoing support to access seeds and markets during the pandemic. They also need urgent assistance to continue coping with climate change—another crisis that isn’t going away during this pandemic.

These challenges are here to stay. Farmers need all of us to support them.

I’ve worked with SeedChange as a farmer, workshop trainer and now I’m a member of the board of directors. I’ve seen first hand the power donors have to sustainably support farmers. If you donate today, you’ll give a farmer the support they need to keep their family safe from hunger during this pandemic.

I’ve learned over the last few months that people want to sow seeds, yes, but also resiliency, hope, and community. This is what your donation could do.

Right now, farmers need generous people like you more than ever. Please donate today and support farmers responding to COVID-19.