Posted: March 26, 2020
Our lab group knows of no current issues with the Agricultural supply chain in the USA and COVID-19 disruptions. However, the potential trend of "soon overwhelmed health systems" has us concerned. What we are most concerned about is a fragile demographic (farming now) and the risk of C19 further disrupting it and creating a negative economic feedback. Around the USA, Land Grants could take a lead in developing Agriculture Assessment Planning Teams but state committee membership should not be limited to College of Ag members. There are likely people in Business programs, other academic departments, and outside University entities, who all could be helpful to have on such a committee. For example, are their retired military experts in logistics planning who could be members? We are currently working with others to support development of a support network for farmers.
The goal is to help every Pennsylvania Farmer produce food, a commodity, or value-added product in 2020.
COVID-19 (C19) State Agriculture Assessment Team Planning idea
Around the USA, Land Grants could take a lead in developing Agriculture Assessment Planning Teams but state committee membership should not be limited to College of Ag members. There are likely people in Business programs, other academic departments, and outside University entities, who all could be helpful to have on such a committee. For example, are their retired military experts in logistics planning who could be members?
Graduate students with projects impossible to finish now, or stalled, could be moved into roles helping to gather information for this assessment. It is likely that thesis topics would evolve for these students during the process. Some students might already be conducting thesis projects tied to the below needs.
Extension members, Master Gardeners, College Ag Council undergraduates from around the state, and students in Ag majors (ideally from farms in their state), can all be enlisted to help gather information remotely. Alumni Associations can be used to help contact Ag Alumni in the state farming sector to help gather information too.
Committee/Effort Primary Goal: Help every farmer succeed in producing a commodity in 2020.
Potential needs to achieve the goal
Ideally we wish to monitor farm capability, over the growing season, to produce a crop. This will require monitoring the logistic support chain for each farmer (s) or valley, or municipality, or Soil and Water Conservation District.
What the scale of analysis should be perhaps depends on the data acquisition and needs as they develop. Sourced data needs to be built into a database and communicated to the state Governor's office via a secure WWW site and server.
Data can be gathered via phone, text message, and WWW site input is needed (a support WWW page would need to be developed quickly).
Assessment of current seed, fertilizer, animal, and equipment logistic chain in the state. Given state Ag operations are dependent on out of state supply chains, monitoring will have to go beyond state borders. Out of state monitoring is important. A concern with some farmers in Pennsylvania is that if state's surrounding us issue travel bans across state lines some agriculture or supply mills could have a really tough time. If farmers start running into logistic chain issues how can we help solve these?
a. Easier solution: Linking existing options to farmers or mills, etc. having issues?
b. Harder solution: Quickly develop a state-run supply system? There are lots of people out of work right now and some of these are likely truck drivers with CDLs, mechanics, people who could be taught some basic farm skills, sent to mills from local populations to help fill employee gaps.
If farms begin to fail in producing their commodity, we need to have trained people to step in. Scale of coverage is still to be identified, but the Soil and Water Conservation District scale might be most appropriate.
a. Can we use Land Grant students in a College of Agriculture, Tech school students, or private Ag University students?
b. Can we deploy them locally or regionally?
Should we monitor packing facilities (frozen and canned)? How many, where, what capacity. What is their supply chain and can we help monitor it, help fill gaps? Where do they get cans, etc. from? What would be needed to temporarily ramp up canning in the state, if needed?
What commodity production exists in a state for value added products like butter, apple products like apple sauce, etc. What capacity do they have now, what threats to capacity exist with C19 and how can we help?
There are a lot of vehicles at Army Depots that could perhaps be used to fill gaps in logistics. Perhaps the Governor could use the National Guard's mechanics to help maintain farm equipment.
Assessment could start at the type of commodity. Commonalities in the supply chain would likely be identified as scales move up to a town/city level supplying several farmers, or a county or region supply entity. For example, there might be one chemical supplier for a large area that needs to be monitored and protected.
The forest products industry should be monitored (harvest to value-added pulp, paper, etc.). How many existing saw mills and state-based manufactures exist for packaging materials (shipping and food packaging), paper for paper products, wood for basic manufacturing.
A spatial assessment should also be included of Ag property distance by road to health facility and food supply.
