With an eye on sustaining the Salt Spring Island community through the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic chaos, farms and businesses on the island have formed the Business and Farm Response and Recovery Task Force.
The group intends co-ordinate efforts to address the current situation as well as deal with what’s to come.
“Planning for recovery now — by collaborating, co-ordinating and instituting protective measures — will ensure that we are able to sustain and support our community through this crisis,” said Laura Patrick, chairwoman of the task force and island trustee.
The task force’s plan will include effective communication with farms and businesses while co-ordinating the economic response and recovery planning.
“The farm and food response plan is the first component of this overall economic recovery initiative,” said Anne Macey, who is co-facilitating work on the agriculture response plan as part of the overall initiative.
“Our immediate goal is to reduce virus transmission risk while increasing the production and availability of local food, and to help ensure food supplies are available to under-served and vulnerable groups.”
More information about the agricultural response plan is available at plantofarm.org/covid-19.
