STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 6 30 38 - Heifer International

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STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 6 30 38 - Heifer International
SPRING 2021 | HEIFER.ORG

®THE MAGAZINE OF HEIFER INTERNATIONAL

STRENGTH IN
THE FACE OF
ADVERSITY
6      RENEWING THE EARTH
       THROUGH REGENERATIVE
       AGRICULTURE

30     REBUILDING IN THE
       SHADOW OF CONFLICT

38     SACRED COW DOCUMENTARY
       LOCKS HORNS WITH BEEF
       DETRACTORS

PLUS

Food Advocate and
Author Speaks on
U.S. Farming
STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 6 30 38 - Heifer International
TRIPLE YOUR IMPACT!
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be matched by two more — so your gift will have 3X the impact!

Give today:
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        night and send their children to school
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        and nutritious food to keep their families healthy and strong during the
        COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
        So futures once filled with despair will be filled with hope, stability and
        prosperity

A group of generous donors contributed matching funds available up to $3 million,
but time is limited. Please help today! Your gift will go three times as far to help
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HEIFER INTERNATIONAL | 1 WORLD AVENUE | LITTLE ROCK, AR 72202 | 888.548.6437 | INFO@HEIFER.ORG | HEIFER.ORG

    HEIFER INTERNATIONAL | 1 WORLD AVENUE | LITTLE ROCK, AR 72202 | 888.548.6437 | INFO@HEIFER.ORG | HEIFER.ORG
STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 6 30 38 - Heifer International
horizons

                                     RESILIENCE IN
                                      THE FACE OF
                                    ADVERSITY AND
                                      INNOVATION
                                        DESPITE
                                       OBSTACLES

Dear Determined Humanitarians,
This issue is a celebration       marginalized communities           with you a transcript of the
of resilience in the face of      that are struggling to adapt       fireside-style chat I had
adversity and innovation          to conditions that have left       with Leah Penniman, a
despite obstacles. We know        them unable to transport           farmer and author who’s
the challenges are great, but     their produce to market and        making a difference tackling
we here at Heifer International   unable to earn an income.          racial injustice. Leah wrote
are even more committed to            Here in the United States,     Farming While Black, the first
our mission to end hunger and     the COVID-19 pandemic              comprehensive how-to guide
poverty. Despite the upheaval     has spurred appreciation of        for Black farmers. Her work
caused by the COVID-19            strong supply chains and           has been widely recognized,
pandemic that has impacted        locally produced food. We’re       and we’re thrilled to have had
the lives of millions as well     so proud to report that unlike     the opportunity to listen and
as our work in 21 countries       other meat processing plants       learn how we here at Heifer can
around the globe, our project     around the country, our            work toward greater inclusion
participants and our partners     partner Cypress Valley Meat        and even greater equality.
are embracing the challenge.      Company in Clinton, Arkansas,          Finally, I would like to take a
     We are inspired by           has continued operations           moment to reflect on the ways
their courage every day.          during the pandemic in a           in which Heifer works to bring
     The impact of the pandemic   responsible way due to the         communities together, at home
is truly global, and we’re        commitment of owner and            and abroad. Our strength is
proud to share some of the        co-founder Andy Shaw to            our diversity, our passion for
work that inspires us. In this    safe and humane practices.         fairness and caring for others,
issue you’ll visit with Leah          In Nepal, goat farmers         and our commitment to being
Amongi in Uganda, who is          Ganga Gharti and her husband,      stewards of the Earth. We’re in
an entrepreneur in the Learn      Rudra Pun, are an example of       this together, and I would like
for Agribusiness project.         what it takes to rebuild after     to express my gratitude to you
Amongi is a leader in her         crisis. With Heifer’s help, this   for your support as we navigate
community and has been            couple is thriving after the       these uncharted waters.
working to train rural farmers    decadelong Nepalese Civil
and bring them resources via      War. Their story of courage        Yours for a better world,
her motorcycle during the         in the face of adversity is a
lockdown. She’s on the cover      reminder than we can all
of this magazine, zooming         rebuild and recover even when
through the countryside. Her      it seems that all hope is lost.    Pierre U. Ferrari
story draws attention to the          I’m also excited to share      @HeiferCEO

                                                                                                 HEIFER.ORG   | 1
STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 6 30 38 - Heifer International
STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 6 30 38 - Heifer International
SPRING 2021      table of contents

                                17   STRENGTH IN THE FACE
                                     OF ADVERSITY
                                     The COVID-19 pandemic quickly
                                     put many people around the
                                     world, including farmers and
                                     others working in food systems,
                                     in extremely difficult financial
                                     situations. But in the midst of the
                                     crisis, Heifer International project
                                     participants are responding with
                                     resolve and resilience, finding
                                     ways to continue supporting
                                     their families and communities.

                                30
COVER: Farmer and
agri-input entrepreneur              REBUILDING IN THE
Leah Amongi zooms                    SHADOW OF CONFLICT
through the fields of                Conscripted by Maoist rebels
Dokolo District, Uganda.             in their youth, Ganga Gharti
(Photo by James Akena)
                                     and Rudra Pun met during
TOP: Patricia Morocho,               the Nepalese Civil War and
a member of the La Changa            escaped together toward the
Collective supported by              end of the conflict. Starting over
Heifer, puts together baskets
of fresh produce for delivery
                                     was difficult, but the couple
in Cotopaxi, Ecuador.                made a new life together with
(Photo by Isadora Romero)            the help of Heifer Nepal.

                                                                                         HEIFER.ORG   | 3
STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 6 30 38 - Heifer International
letters       RE ADERS RESPOND

A LONG HISTORY OF GIVING

We would like to share an uplifting
story from our congregation
with you. Even in a time filled
with fear and anxiety, The
Church of the Pilgrimage of
Plymouth, Massachusetts,

                                                                                                                         ART BY MARC E ATON, COURTESY OF WILLIAM HARTING
continues their commitment to
ending hunger and poverty by
supporting Heifer International.
    For 40 consecutive years, the
church has raised at least $5,000 for
the donation of a Gift Ark, which
is enough to provide two water
buffalos, two cows, two sheep, two
goats, as well as bees, chicks, rabbits
and more. In 2020, the church’s
campaign raised its largest gift
yet, $7,300, to continue the streak.
    One of the most exciting efforts
of the campaign was a drawing
of an ark designed by Marc Eaton,         Heifer International. In 1971,         represented the congregation in
a youth member of the church.             then-Pastor Gary Marks, helped         Honduras, to see Heifer’s work
Each time $1,000 was donated,             initiate the first campaign to raise   firsthand. She said the highlight
another tier on the ark drawing           $5,000. Heifer had just moved          of her trip was attending a
was added. Marc said the drawing          its Northeast Office to Plymouth       Passing on the Gift ceremony.
enabled him to combine his love           and set up a livestock center there,       There is no doubt that The
of animals and art while helping          where 200 to 400 food-producing        Church of the Pilgrimage will
raise money for Heifer. The themes        animals were sent each year to         continue to Fill the Ark every year
were ocean life, farm animals,            developing countries to help end       going forward. We are committed
woodland creatures and safari, with       poverty and hunger. In 1984, that      to Heifer International, and we
the top layer featuring some of           office moved to Overlook Farm in       want to do our part to share Heifer’s
Marc’s favorite animals, including        Rutland, Massachusetts, where          love throughout the world.
the opossum and red panda.                it served Heifer until 2017.
    The Church of the Pilgrimage              More recently, the church’s          Rosalee Sinn and Paula Caramello
has a long history of supporting          newest pastor, Dr. Helen Nablo,                  Plymouth, Massachusetts

    WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN
      WORLD ARK MAGAZINE?
      Take our survey and let us know at HEIFER.ORG/WASURVEY

4 |            SPRING 2021
STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 6 30 38 - Heifer International
SPRING 2021      table of contents

                                                          06 FOR THE RECORD
                                                          Renewing the Earth
                                                          Through Regenerative                       WE WANT
                                                          Agriculture
                                                                                                     TO HEAR
                                                          08 GOOD LIFE
                                                          Mom’s Meatloaf: The
                                                                                                      FROM
                                                          Ultimate Comfort Food                        YOU!
                                                          10 ASKED & ANSWERED                          Please send your
                                                          Food Advocate and Author
                                                                                                         comments to
                                                          Speaks on U.S. Farming
                                                                                                   worldark@heifer.org.
                                                                                                     Include your name,
                                                          38 MIXED MEDIA                            city, and a telephone
                                                          Sacred Cow Documentary                       number or email
                                                          Locks Horns with                          address. Letters may
                                                          Beef Detractors                            be edited for length
                                                                                                        and clarity, and
                                                          40 FIRST PERSON                             may be published
                                                          Young Professional                          online as well as in
                                                                                                    print. Because of the
                                                                                                      volume of mail we
                                                                                                      receive, we cannot
                                                                                                    respond to all letters.

                           PRESIDENT AND CEO              World Ark is the educational, informational
                           Pierre Ferrari                 and outreach publication of Heifer
                                                          International. Its purpose is to further
                           PUBLISHER                      Heifer’s goals to end poverty and hunger
                           Chris Coxon                    while caring for the Earth and to raise
                           EDITOR-IN-CHIEF                awareness of the issues involved in this
                                                          work throughout the world.
                           A’Melody Lee Jacobi
                                                          Heifer International is qualified as a
                           MANAGING EDITOR
1 WORLD AVENUE                                            charitable organization under Section
                           Jason Woods                    501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
LITTLE ROCK,
AR 72202, USA              WRITER                         Contributions to Heifer International are tax-
EMAIL: WORLDARK            Bethany Ivie                   deductible to the extent permitted by law.
@HEIFER.ORG                                                                                                       The FSC® Logo
                           DESIGNER & PRODUCTION          © 2021, Heifer International. Passing              identifies products
                                                          on the Gift® is a registered trademark             which contain wood
                           Pooi Yin Chong
                                                          of Heifer International.                           from well managed
To change or remove                                                                                            forests certified in
an address, email          CONTRIBUTORS
                                                          Opinions expressed in World Ark are those              accordance with
donorservices@heifer.org   Isa Ainemagara, Liz Ellis,     of the authors and do not necessarily                   the rules of the
or call toll-free          Amanda Granda, Paul Muliika,   reflect the views of either the magazine            Forest Stewardship
877.448.6437.              Regeena Regmi                  or Heifer International.                                      Council®.

                                                                                                              HEIFER.ORG     | 5
STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 6 30 38 - Heifer International
for the record           FAC TS & FIGURES

RENEWING
THE EARTH
                                Regenerative
 THROUGH                        Agriculture

      COVER CROPPING
     Fields are never fallow,
    with diverse perennials
   and cover crops protecting
     and enriching the soil.

              A NO-TILL APPROACH
       Avoids tilling, a common practice that           RAISING PIGS IN FORESTED AREAS
    breaks up the soil to ready for planting crops,        Forested pigs are healthier and
      but also kills important microorganisms              can revitalize overgrown areas
       in the soil, releases stored carbon into              by eating invasive species
        the atmosphere and leads to erosion.                 other animals can’t digest.

 TOGETHER, THESE REGENERATIVE PRACTICES ALLOW THE LAND TO REST AND RECUPERATE
  NUTRIENTS WHILE PROMOTING MICROBIAL AND VEGETATIVE DIVERSITY. THAT LEADS TO:

 HEALTHIER CROPS           INCREASED ABSORPTION         LESS       INCREASED RESILIENCE TO
AND BETTER YIELDS               OF RAINFALL           EROSION       DROUGHT AND FLOODING
STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 6 30 38 - Heifer International
Regenerative agriculture is a farming method that rehabilitates the land, leaving soil richer
and more productive and the ecosystem healthier. It is particularly effective at carbon
sequestration, which lessens atmospheric carbon, a big driver of climate change. Below
are some of the regenerative farming methods we use and teach to small-scale farmers at
Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas. These methods mirror our projects around the world.

                                                                               CREATING VEGETATION BUFFERS
                                                                                 These serve as natural barriers to
                                                                              erosion and encourage wildlife habitats.

                                                                                        CROP DIVERSITY
                                                                              Growing a variety of plants in the same
                                                                               area nourishes the soil, as opposed to
                                                                               monocropping, which is insufficient
                                                                              to build healthy land, as it depletes the
                                                                              earth and requires extractive practices
                                                                                 to maintain optimal plant growth.

NO CHEMICAL INPUTS                         HOLISTIC PLANNED GRAZING
  Chemicals can lead                          Cows are moved through
 to erosion, decreased                      a series of pastures to prevent
 soil fertility and a lack                    overgrazing and promote
     of biodiversity.                               plant diversity.

 IN ADDITION TO HEALTHIER SOIL, PLANTS AND ANIMALS, REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE LEADS TO:

       BETTER CARBON DRAWDOWN                       IMPROVED WATER CYCLES                 GREATER BIODIVERSITY
             OR SEQUESTRATION                        When soil holds more carbon,            Healthy, well-managed
   With the help of grazing animals, healthy            it’s also able to absorb and      farmland means a healthier,
 plants pull carbon out of the atmosphere and         retain more water, leading to          naturally functioning
 into the soil, helping mitigate climate change      restoration in the water cycles           ecosystem overall
STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 6 30 38 - Heifer International
good life        TIPS FOR BET TER LIVING

Mom’s Meatloaf:
The Ultimate Comfort Food
                                                                       Filling, warming and easy to
                                                                    whip up, this is the last meatloaf
                                                                             recipe you’ll ever need.

                              By Liz Ellis, World Ark contributor

                              COMFORT FOOD, a delicious slice of           perfect recipe to add a touch of home-
                              nostalgia that soothes your soul — for       cooked goodness to your next Zoom
                              me, that's my mom's meatloaf. Of all the     dinner party or small (and properly
                              dishes my mom made for our family            precautious) family gathering.
                              growing up, this meatloaf was hands-             As we reflect on 2020 and gather
                              down our favorite meal. Even with only       ourselves to face new challenges and
                              three of us to enjoy it, the loaf pan of     meet our resolutions in 2021, a taste
                              juicy, sweet and savory goodness almost      of comfort is more than a reminder
                              never lasted long enough to become           of good things. It’s an opportunity to
                              leftovers. And it’s not hard to understand   nourish ourselves and be kind to the
                              why — Mom’s take on this classic recipe      Earth. We may not be able to share a
                              is the dinner version of a warm hug. I’m     meal with loved ones quite yet, but we
                              pretty sure it’s therapeutic. Featuring      can reach out in ways that are available
                              simply seasoned beef and a tangy, sweet      to us, and we can eat amazing food
                              tomato sauce, Mom’s meatloaf is the          while we’re at it. n

8 |      SPRING 2021
PHOTOS BY PHILLIP DAVIS

MOM’S MEATLOAF RECIPE
Serves 6

LOAF INGREDIENTS                    SAUCE INGREDIENTS
•   2⁄3 cup breadcrumbs             •   ¼ cup ketchup
•   1 cup milk                      •   ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
•   1½ pounds ground beef           •   1 teaspoon mustard
•   2 eggs, lightly beaten          •   3 tablespoons brown
                                                                                           When I worked as a chef at the former
•   ¼ cup onion, minced finely          sugar
                                                                                           Heifer Farm in Rutland, Massachusetts,
•   1 teaspoon salt
                                                                                           I delighted in sharing this meatloaf with
•   ½ teaspoon sage, dried
                                                                                           crowds of hungry Heifer supporters.
•   Dash of pepper
                                                                                           Because I used beef that had been
                                                                                           sustainably raised with room to roam
INSTRUCTIONS                                                                               on Heifer Farm, it was extra special.
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
                                                                                           Though my grass-fed beef comes from
2. Combine the loaf ingredients in a large bowl and mix                                    Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative these
   them together well, making sure to incorporate the egg                                  days, I still like to add that extra-special
   and the breadcrumbs thoroughly. Press the mixture                                       touch when I make Mom’s meatloaf for
   firmly into a greased loaf pan, and smooth out the top                                  friends or family. If you can, I encourage
   with the back of a spoon.                                                               you to do the same. Fortunately for you,
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients and                               Grass Roots Farmers’ Co-Op delivers.
   spread evenly over the loaf.                                                            With a click of your mouse, you can not
4. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 10                             only support small-scale farmers in the
   minutes prior to serving.                                                               United States, but you can also feel good
5. Plate up the piping-hot goodness alongside potatoes and                                 by supporting a food system that betters
   green peas or asparagus for a perfect and easy springtime                               the Earth, improves the soil, and treats
   supper with soul.                                                                       people and animals with respect. Go
                                                                                           ahead — do some good with your fork at
       WATCH THE VIDEO AT HEIFER.ORG/MEATLOAF                                              GRASSROOTSCOOP.COM.

                                                                                                                         HEIFER.ORG   | 9
asked & answered   ROOTED IN R ACISM

                                   FOOD ADVOCATE AND AUTHOR
                              Speaks on U.S. Farming
                                                                Interview by Pierre Ferrari, Heifer president and CEO

                                                                Leah Penniman loves being a farmer, but after
                                                                doing the job for more than two decades, she
                                                                has no illusions about it. “It’s a hard job,” she said.
                                                                “We don’t get to prance through the fields just
                                                                picking flowers in a white dress.”
                                                                    In addition to farming, Penniman is a mother,
                                                                soil steward and food justice activist, as well
                                                                as the author of Farming While Black, the
                                                                first comprehensive how-to guide for aspiring
                                                                African-heritage growers to reclaim their dignity
                                                                as agriculturists, a book she describes as a love
                                                                song for the land and her people.
                                                                    In 2010, Penniman co-founded Soul Fire Farm
                                                                in Grafton, New York. With a mission to end
                                                                racism in the food system and reclaim ancestral
                                                                connections to the land, Soul Fire provides
                                                                farmer training for Black and Brown people, a
                                                                subsidized farm food distribution program, anti-
                                                                racism training, and organizing toward equity in
                                                                the food system. Penniman and Soul Fire Farm
                                                                have been recognized by the Soros Equality
                                                                Fellowship, Fulbright Program, Grist 50 and
                                                                James Beard Leadership Award, among others.
       PHOTOS COURTESY OF LE AH PENNIMAN

                                                                    Penniman chatted with Heifer International
                                                                President and CEO Pierre Ferrari about anti-
                                                                racism, food apartheid, soil health and farming
                                                                during the COVID-19 pandemic. Excerpts from
                                                                their conversation, which is part of Heifer’s
                                                                ongoing live chats, follow. The full discussion is
                                                                available at www.heifer.org/leahpenniman.

10 |                                          SPRING 2021
PIERRE FERRARI: How do            does it take to really become        They’re realizing that we have        TOP RIGHT
                                                                                                             Leah Penniman
organizations think about         an anti-racist society? And out      a whole history of policies that      (right) and
how to become anti-racist         of that, we built an action step     we affectionately term “white         her children,
organizations?                    guide. We built a training, which    affirmative action,” things like      Emet Vitale-
                                                                                                             Penniman (left)
                                  you can find on our website.         the Homestead Act and the             and Neshima
LEAH PENNIMAN: Essentially            I think we’re dealing with       GI Bill, that hugely benefited        Vitale-Penniman
                                                                                                             (middle), hill
you’re asking, “How do we undo    a reckoning right now, where         white people and didn’t benefit       potatoes at Soul
500 years of white supremacy      people who previously were           people of color. And again, it        Fire Farm.
and colonialism, and all of its   unaware, for whatever reason,        exacerbated a wealth and access
associated forces?” And so        that racism is a pillar of our       gap. In order to have a fair
there’s no three easy steps.      society are now realizing            society and a level playing field,
There’s no quarterly returns.     that. And realizing that a lot       there are resources that really
We’re really talking about deep   of things were taken. The            need to be given back. I think
work. And it’s something that     land was actually taken from         that sometimes when we talk
we’ve worked really hard as an    Indigenous people, and then          about racial equity, we get stuck
organization at Soul Fire Farm    stolen all over again from Black     in the diversity conversation.
to figure out how to help the     and Brown people, especially         And I’m not saying that
field in that regard. We spent    in the early 1900s. They’re          diversity is not important,
some time interviewing over       realizing that there’s a whole lot   diversifying your board and
500 different Black- and Brown-   of unpaid wages that are due,        your staff. But fundamentally,
led organizations and farms       and then that’s compounded           change is going to involve a
with that very question. What     itself into a major wealth gap.      shift of resources and power.

                                                                                                            HEIFER.ORG   | 11
asked & answered               ROOTED IN R ACISM

           How does anti-racism
           intersect with food access?
           That’s a really big question.
           We did write a guide for
           farmers who are interested in
           making their food accessible
           to low-income people. It’s
           called Sowing the Seeds of
           Food Justice. You can find
           it on the soulfirefarm.org
           publications page. It’s free,
           and it talks about how to
           stay financially viable while
           making your food accessible.
                I will talk about strategies
           that Soul Fire Farm has used
           because, obviously, we have
           a food justice mission. One
           is for our vegetables, we’ve
           used what’s called a sliding-
           scale CSA. And I want to shout
           out Black farmer Booker T.           I was struck by the use
           Whatley for inventing the CSA,       of the phrase “food
           or Community Supported               apartheid” in your book.
           Agriculture, which at the            How did you come to it?
           time was called the Clientele        Well, Karen Washington,
           Membership Club. It’s basically      who I think you got to talk to
           a subscription service where         recently, she’s the one who
           you pay either upfront or on         taught me that term. She’s a
           a regular basis, and then get        mentor of mine, a wonderful
           a weekly share of vegetables,        Black farmer at Rise and Root
           meats, fruits, eggs, right? We       Farm and the founder of the
           allocate about half the shares       Black Urban Growers network.
           to people who are middle             And she corrected me when
           income, and they’re paying a         I used the term “food desert,”
           little more than market value.       which the government uses
           And about half for people            to define a census tract that
           who are low income, who              is low income and where it’s
           are paying less than market          a distance to a supermarket.
           value. So it shakes out, right?           But, of course, a desert
           That’s one model that we’ve          is a natural ecosystem. It’s
           used. In the time of COVID,          this phenomenon that arises
           we’ve actually had such an           beautifully, really, out of
           increase in food insecurity in       the whole climatic shifts of
           our area that we have shifted        the planet. There’s nothing
           so that we’re actually, this year,   natural about a whole bunch
           giving away 100% of our food.        of people not having enough

12 |      SPRING 2021
to eat, and Black and Brown
folks, in particular, being         “There’s nothing natural about a whole
disproportionately impacted
                                      bunch of people not having enough
by diabetes, heart disease and
other diet-related illnesses.         to eat, and Black and Brown folks, in
That is a human-created               particular, being disproportionately
system. And it is connected
                                      impacted by diabetes, heart disease
to a history of housing
segregation and redlining and            and other diet related illnesses.
divestment from communities.            That is a human-created system.”
So apartheid is really more
appropriate and also more
hopeful. A desert cannot be       How has Soul Fire Farm          farm that was able to shift
defeated. Apartheid is human-     adapted in terms of all the     all of our production to free
created, and it can be undone.    disruption we’ve been           doorstep delivery of food
So I think the name also gives    seen since the beginning        for people within a matter
us a sense of directionality in   of the pandemic?                of weeks, which is amazing,
terms of how we’re going to       I feel proud of our team for    we’re also an advocacy and
deal with it. There’s nothing     how nimble we’ve been able      education organization. And
inevitable about it, right?       to be. In addition to being a   so people started reaching
                                                                  out to us saying, “How do we
                                                                  grow our own food?” [and]
                                                                  “Can you support us?” And
                                                                  we ramped up our Soul Fire
                                                                  in the City home gardens
                                                                  program, which usually only
                                                                  has a few garden builds a year,
                                                                  to almost 50 so far this year.
                                                                  People who received a garden
                                                                  build along with the plants,
                                                                  the tools, the materials, the
                                                                  training, the network of other
                                                                  gardeners to connect with.
                                                                      We train thousands of           TOP
                                                                  new Black and Brown farmers         Penniman uses
                                                                                                      aluminum foil
                                                                  every year. We shifted a lot of
                                                                                                      collars to protect
                                                                  that programming online for         the tender
                                                                  this year because we couldn’t       stems of the
                                                                                                      hot peppers
                                                                  meet in person and so forth.        she’s growing.
                                                                  I think that both in terms of
                                                                                                      BOTTOM
                                                                  our farm but also in terms of
                                                                                                      Soul Fire Farm,
                                                                  being a small organization          located in
                                                                  that’s really connected to our      Grafton, New
                                                                                                      York, works to
                                                                  community, we’re able to            end racism in the
                                                                  adapt and respond in ways           food system and
                                                                                                      reclaim ancestral
                                                                  that met folks’ stated and          connections
                                                                  immediate needs.                    to the land.

                                                                                                    HEIFER.ORG    | 13
asked & answered               ROOTED IN R ACISM

           Is localness important?
           Where are you on that                  “There’s a need to have really resilient
           dimension of the work                    food systems. And one of the great
           that we’re talking about?
           I mean, I think local is
                                                   advantages to local, agroecological,
           extremely important among              small-scale, diversified food systems is
           other important things, right?            they’re quite nimble and resilient.”
           And I think, in the start of the
           pandemic, the brittleness of
           the food system became so           is they’re quite nimble and          about a local food system, its
           apparent. There’s just not a lot    resilient. If the farmers market     resilience and adaptation.
           of slack in our supply chains       closes, that’s okay because we           At the same time, is there
           in the industrial food system.      know our customers, and we           a place for international fair
           If one thing goes wrong, you        can quickly set up a farm stand      trade? For my Haitian family
           see this domino effect and          and do no contact delivery.          to be able to send moringa
           suddenly there’s no meat on         And we know the school down          for our tooth powders and
           the shelves and people are          the street, and they need some       their mangoes up here for our
           dumping milk and burying            lettuce for their free lunches,      smoothies? Absolutely. Should
           produce, and folks aren’t able      and we can do that. We saw           that adhere to standards of
           to get their basic needs met.       small farms being able to adapt      ecological care, as well as
               There’s a need to have really   and fill in needs locally, whereas   rights for workers? Absolutely.
           resilient food systems. And         these big industrial food            So there’s a place, I think, for
           one of the great advantages to      chains were absolutely unable        nonlocal and international. But
           local, agroecological, small-       to cope. I think that is one of      do we absolutely need to make
           scale, diversified food systems     the most important things            sure that we have a strong, local,
                                                                                    resilient food system? Of course.
                                                                                    Otherwise, we’re not going to
                                                                                    make it for another generation.

                                                                                    I know you talk about soil
                                                                                    quite a bit. It’s part of the
                                                                                    reason for farming, right?
                                                                                    I’m really into soil farming,
                                                                                    personally. Yeah. So taking
                                                                                    a little walk back in history,
                                                                                    within just one generation of
                                                                                    taking the plow to the Great
                                                                                    Plains, European settlers
                                                                                    burned up or oxidized half of
                                                                                    the organic matter in the soil,
                                                                                    which hasn’t been put back,
                                                                                    right? And the organic matter,
                                                                                    for those who aren’t science
                                                                                    nerds, this is the carbon-
                                                                                    based compounds, the life
                                                                                    of the soil. It’s the food for all
                                                                                    the microorganisms. It’s a

14 |      SPRING 2021
proxy for soil health and soil         That’s our duty, that’s our           now 12%, which are precolonial     LEFT
                                                                                                                A view from
biodiversity. And of course,       legacy. And so we do that at              levels of organic matter.
                                                                                                                Soul Fire Farm.
when you release carbon from       Soul Fire. We farm [using] Afro-              Here, you put your hand
the soil, you put it up into the   Indigenous ancestral practices            into the soil, and you pull up     RIGHT
                                                                                                                Produce from
atmosphere. So you see the         These are the practices of                a fistful of earthworms and        this harvest at
first blips in the anthropogenic   the Ovambo people, in terms               nematodes and countless            Soul Fire Farm
                                                                                                                was distributed
atmospheric CO2 in the 1800s       of raised beds, the practices             bacteria and fungal mycelium,
                                                                                                                at no cost to
with the tilling of the Great      of Dr. George Washington                  and the hawk flies over, and       the doorsteps
Plains. And my wonderful           Carver with cover crops and               the sparrow is nesting, and        of local families
                                                                                                                living under
coworker Larissa Jacobson          Cleopatra’s vermicomposting.              the monarch butterflies are        what Penniman
talks about how the work of        So we’re taking our ancestral             landing. There’s this whole        refers to as “food
                                                                                                                apartheid.”
regenerative farmers is actually   practices and watching that               wonderful biodiversity that
to call that carbon and call       organic matter level, when we             is actually part of what we’re
that life back into the soil.      first [got] here, at 4%, go to 5, 6, 7,   doing here on the farm. n

                                                                                                              HEIFER.ORG    | 15
MEET FOOD HEROES IN UGANDA, ECUADOR, NEPAL AND THE UNITED STATES

Strength in the Face
       of Adversity:
                            Farmers and Local Food
                          Systems Adapt to Meet the
                             Challenges of COVID-19
                              Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many farmers and others
                            working in food systems saw their sources of income change
                                radically or even vanish overnight, as much of the world
                                locked down to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

                                              Although the challenges presented by the
                                       pandemic were — and still are — extensive, Heifer
                                           International project participants responded
                                                  with resolve across the 21 countries in
                                                     which we work. With access to the
                                                   right resources, farmers successfully
                                                        shifted their way of working and
                                                        took advantage of opportunities
                                                                 to reconnect to markets.

                                                           The following stories are just
                                                              a handful of the inspiring
                                                            examples we’ve seen in the
                                                              last year. From Uganda to
                                                                 Ecuador, Nepal to right
                                                               here in the United States,
                                                                small-scale farmers and
                                                                 entrepreneurs working
                                                                         with Heifer show
                                                                    resilience in the face
                                                                   of crisis while holding
                                                                  the solution to feeding
                                                                       their communities.

                                                                                           LEFT
                                                               Pilar Chamorro, holds a basket
                                                                     of food in Quito, Ecuador.
                                                                   (Photo by Isadora Romero)

                                                                         HEIFER.ORG     | 17
Zooming to
                        Brighter Futures
       UGANDA
                        in Uganda
                        By Isa Ainemagara, Paul Muliika and
                        Bethany Ivie, photos by James Akena

                        NOTHING CAN STOP LEAH AMONGI,
                        not even a global pandemic.
                            Amongi is a 28-year-old single
                        mother who lives and works in Uganda’s
                        Dokolo District. “It is not all that easy to
                        find employment [here],” said Amongi.
                        And that’s putting it lightly. With more
                        than 70% of its citizens between 18 and
                        30 years of age, Uganda has one of the
                        youngest populations in the world. It
                        also has one of the highest rates of youth
                        unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa.
                        With the help of Heifer Uganda, Amongi
                        is working to give her peers the vital skills
                        they need to change that statistic, and she
                        isn’t letting anything stand in her way.
                             In 2019, Amongi joined Heifer
                        Uganda’s Learn for Agribusiness project
                        and was trained as a community agri-
                        input entrepreneur. Through the project,
                        Heifer Uganda is working to help young
                        people, many of whom were unable to
                        complete formal educations, to earn
                        a living income through farming. It’s           large sessions at 13 local farmer field
                        Amongi’s job to teach participants the          schools in Dokolo. Then came the
                        essential skills they need to build a           pandemic. The first case of COVID-19
                        sustainable and profitable business in          in Uganda was reported in March 2020.
                        agriculture. Her lessons include weed           Shortly thereafter, all Ugandan borders
                        and pest control, sowing good quality           and points of entry were closed, and
                        seeds, and line spacing, to name a              President Yoweri Museveni ordered a
                        few. Fortunately, that’s her passion. “I        strict countrywide lockdown to limit the
                        joined the Learn for Agribusiness project       spread of the virus. With a stop in public
                        because I am inspired to work with young        transportation, a dusk-till-dawn curfew,
                        people participating in agriculture,” said      and a ban on weekly markets and group
                        Amongi. “I love the work I do because           gatherings, the lockdown kept Uganda’s
                        it enables me to share my technical             COVID-19 case count low but made life
                        agricultural skills, which can make a           extremely difficult for citizens, especially
                        difference in the lives of the community.”      rural farmers.
                             Before COVID-19 struck, Amongi                 As restrictions eased and boda bodas,
                        shared her expertise by facilitating            or motorcycle taxis, were allowed to

18 |      SPRING 2021
TOP
                          Community
                          agri-input
                          entrepreneur
                          Leah Amongi
                          rides her
                          motorcycle to
                          help farmers
                          who have been
                          isolated by
                          the COVID-19
                          pandemic.

                          BOTTOM
                          Leah Amongi
                          passes hand
                          sanitizer to a
                          student during
                          one of her
                          agricultural
                          training sessions.
                          The gathering is
                          small to adhere
                          to lockdown
                          guidelines.

  I love the work
   I do because it
enables me to share
    my technical
 agricultural skills,
  which can make
   a difference in
   the lives of the
     community.
    — LEAH AMONGI

                        HEIFER.ORG   | 19
I have an obligation to serve even                                     seeds, tools, irrigation equipment and

            within times of hardship. I look at
                                                                                   fertilizers to farmers who are unable to
                                                                                   access them. It also helps her make the

              it like a soldier on a battlefield.                                  most of her time. Now, not only can she
                                                                                   reach more people than before, but she
                                  — LEAH AMONGI                                    can work closely with other extension
                                                                                   workers who are, likewise, working hard
                                     operate again, Amongi hired drivers to        to keep young farmers afloat during this
                                     ferry her to farmers individually or in       time of crisis.
                                     groups of five or less. Before COVID-19,          Amongi’s involvement with Heifer
                                     Amongi paid 10,000 Ugandan shillings,         Uganda allowed her to share her talents
                                     or $2.70 per day, for a ride to and from      and serve her community, and it’s given
                                     the field. Today, these same rides have       her opportunity for growth. “It has built
                                     easily doubled in price. Unwilling to         my capacity in so many ways, in getting
                                     be gouged and even less willing to            soft skills on how to communicate, how
                                     leave farmers to fend for themselves,         to mobilize the community and how to
                                     Amongi bought a motorcycle of her             interact with them,” she said. With these
                                     own. “COVID-19 is here to stay, and we        abilities, Amongi aspires to create and
                                     cannot allow our farmers to starve,” she      coordinate her own projects, similar to
                                     said. “I have an obligation to serve even     Learn for Agribusiness, that help young
BOTTOM
Leah Amongi                          within times of hardship. I look at it like   Ugandan farmers who are struggling
hosts a training                     a soldier on a battlefield.”                  to make a living. It’s safe to say that,
for a small group
of farmers near                         Amongi’s new ride allows her to            when she’s ready, there will be no better
Dokolo, Uganda.                      deliver critical farming supplies like        person for the job. n

20 |                SPRING 2021
Faced with COVID-19 Pandemic,
                         Ecuador’s Working Class Keeps
ECUADOR
                         Pedaling
                         By Jason Woods and Amanda Granda
                         Photos by Isadora Romero

                         WHEN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC                      others in need and created a solidarity
                         REACHED QUITO, Ecuador, in March                network to coordinate donations through
                         2020, it hit the city’s barrios populares, or   social media and then distribute them.
                         low-income communities, the hardest.               “We made weekly purchases to
                         But in one barrio popular, a group of           put together food kits containing 11
                         resilient young entrepreneurs supported         products, and we delivered them to the
                         by Heifer is doing the legwork necessary        La Changa Cultural Center,” Salcedo
                         to distribute fresh, healthy food to their      said. “In the case of older adults who, due
                         community while earning an income.              to health conditions, could not leave
                             Karen Salcedo taught affordable ballet      their homes, we took their kits to them.”
                         classes to children and managed the                 About 90 families received food
     TOP
     Karen Salcedo,
                         café for La Changa Art Collective. When         kits, but as the pandemic wore on,
     a member of         the coronavirus outbreak shut down              the program became unsustainable.
     La Changa,          those opportunities, she found herself          Around that time, Heifer Ecuador
     distributes fresh
     produce to          with an even more meager budget,                contacted La Changa with an idea: to
     customers in the    accepting donations of food and money.          earn money delivering fresh food from
     south of Quito
     every Thursday
                             Salcedo and other members of La             farms to doorsteps in the south of Quito
     via bicycle.        Changa shared those resources with              via bicycle.

                                                                                                  HEIFER.ORG   | 21
The bicycle
                                                                                 was and is our main
                                                                                 means of transport.
                                                                                 It allows us to save
                                                                                 money, exercise and
                                                                                  be respectful with
                                                                                  the environment.
                                                                                        — KAREN SALCEDO

                                                                               Ecuador recruited energetic young
                                                                               people like Salcedo and other members
                                                                               of La Changa to manage the process.
                                                                                   “The bicycle was and is our main
                                                                               means of transport,” Salcedo said. “It
                                                                               allows us to save money, exercise and
TOP                                     After a national lockdown took place   be respectful with the environment.”
In Quito, Susana
Guasque (left)
                                    to curb the spread of COVID-19, Quito’s    Once La Changa decided to be part of
and others put                      mayor contacted Heifer Ecuador. With       the delivery, Heifer Ecuador supported
together baskets                    public transportation systems at a         the group with seed capital, training,
of food that will
be delivered to                     standstill and families staying at home,   bicycle trailers and personal protective
customers.                          access to food became a challenge,         equipment.
RIGHT
                                    especially for those with few resources.       “This economic activity has allowed
Heifer Ecuador                         “He said, we know you work with         us to sustain ourselves collectively and
provides personal                   producers, we need your help to support    individually, as the pandemic caused
protective
equipment and                       vulnerable populations. And we need        many people to lose their jobs,” Salcedo
bicycle trailers to                 to keep people at home,” said Rosa         said. Income from deliveries is pooled,
groups in Quito so
they can deliver
                                    Rodriguez, director of Heifer Ecuador.     with 80% distributed equally among
fresh food safely                   Rodriguez’s team and the groups of         those who worked and 20% kept in a
and efficiently.
                                    farmers they work with quickly put         group fund.
                                    their heads together to come up with            That fund, as well as the initial support
                                    a system that is affordable for nearly     Heifer Ecuador provided, is allowing the
                                    every family and safe for everyone.        group to start its own bicycle messenger
                                        The process, which is a part of the    service called Chasqui Pedal. “We don’t
                                    Future of Food program, starts in the      have many orders yet, but we’re still in
                                    rural communities outside of Quito every   the promotional stage,” Salcedo said.
                                    Wednesday, when farmers harvest fresh           Every Thursday, though, is reserved
                                    produce from their farms. Early Thursday   for Heifer’s food deliveries. Starting
                                    morning, the products are delivered to     at 7 a.m., Salcedo delivers baskets
                                    one of eight collection centers, where     comprised of 20 different products,
                                    they are checked for quality and packed    from fruits and vegetables to cereals
                                    for shipping to families in the capital.   to honey. At $17 each, the baskets are
                                    The food is transported into the city in   set at an intentionally low price point
                                    vehicles that are regularly cleaned and    to reach more consumers, especially
                                    sprayed to avoid contamination. To         those surviving on meager incomes. In
                                    complete the delivery process, Heifer      Ecuador, the delivery service is the only

22 |                  SPRING 2021
HEIFER.ORG   | 23
TOP                              one of its kind — naturally produced              “We want the distribution of
Food from rural                  food, direct from the producer. So far,        agroecological baskets to increase in
producers in
Cotopaxi is                      Salcedo has delivered about 80 baskets         order to generate more sources of work
collected and                    herself, but she has not been able to          for the residents in our sector,” Salcedo
prepared for
transportation
                                 keep track of the number of kilometers         said.
to Quito.                        she has covered.                                   That is Heifer Ecuador’s plan, as
                                     “In Quito, there are many steep            well. So far, more than 10,000 baskets
                                 streets where you put your physique to         have been sold in the cities of Quito,
                                 the test,” Salcedo said. “When you put         Cuenca, Santa Elena and Machala,
                                 in that effort, you also understand the        and Heifer Ecuador supports a similar
                                 importance of eating in a diverse and          endeavor on Galapagos’ island of
                                 healthy way. Everything is linked to           San Cristobal. Overall, the deliveries

   When you
                                 each other: eating healthy, exercising         generate almost $70,000 a month. As
                                 and working in community.” She added           long as customer support stays strong,

  put in that                    that working with Heifer Ecuador is
                                 gratifying because it aligns with one
                                                                                the service will continue to grow.
                                                                                    In the south part of Quito, Salcedo
effort, you also                 of La Changa’s basic principles — the          says customer support has been great.

understand the
                                 right to eat healthy and valuing the work     “Some of our clients are people who made
                                 of farmers who harvest those foods.            donations when the pandemic started, so

importance of                         To help promote and sell products, the
                                 group is responsible for a Facebook page.
                                                                                they already know us and always support
                                                                                us,” she said. “When we started with the
  eating in a                   “Thanks to Heifer’s support, we learned to      deliveries in the neighboring sectors, the

  diverse and
                                 manage that page and generate content,         response was also good. Many people are
                                 and we continue to learn,” Salcedo said.       surprised and congratulate us when they

 healthy way.                    Members of the group also learned
                                 about best business practices, account
                                                                                see us arriving by bicycle, because in
                                                                                Quito there are streets that not even cars
   — KAREN SALCEDO               management and price adjustments.              go up, but we do.” n

24 |              SPRING 2021
The Women of Bihani Dairy Give
                       Back to Community, Adapt to
                       Pandemic Changes
NEPAL

                       By Jason Woods and Regeena Regmi
                       Photos by Joe Tobiason

                       FOR MANY YEARS, TULSI THAPA
                       FELT LIKE SHE WAS ALONE. Like
                                                                      We realized that
                       most women in Kopuwa, Nepal,                   we couldn’t work
                                                                      singlehandedly,
                       her husband did not allow her to
                       leave home often, and she was
                       dependent on him for income.
                           But she was far from alone — she
                                                                       that we had to
                       found five other women in her                   work together.
                       community who felt similarly and
                                                                            — TULSI THAPA
                       wanted to do something about it. After
                       starting to work with Heifer Nepal,
                       Thapa and her neighbors formed a         our sisters. It unites us.” Soon after, with
    BOTTOM
    The leadership
                       group dedicated to sharing labor and     64 savings groups formed, the women
    team for Bihani    saving money to invest in themselves     unified further by starting a cooperative,
    Dairy stands       and the community. Then they             with Thapa serving as chairperson.
    outside their
    facility several   helped other women do the same.             To put back savings, the women
    months before         “We realized that we couldn’t work    needed a steady source of income. “We
    the COVID-19
    pandemic
                       singlehandedly, that we had to work      should become entrepreneurs, we
    reached Nepal.     together,” Thapa said. “We got to know   realized,” Thapa said. The cooperative

                                                                                         HEIFER.ORG    | 25
TOP LEFT                            assessed the needs of their area and         dairy first began operation, it processed
Bihani member
                                    noted that while many farmers owned          and sold paneer, yogurt and ghee in
Mina Kandel
demonstrates the                    dairy cows and buffalo, there was            addition to milk. At the suggestion of
rickshaw used to                    nowhere to store the milk. That meant        a Heifer technician, Bihani added kulfi,
sell ice cream in
the community.                      much of the milk went to waste, and          or ice cream, to its list of products. The
                                    farmers generally sold their milk to         climate of Nepal’s flatlands, where
TOP RIGHT
                                    traders, who paid much less than market      summers can get as hot as 108 degrees
Mina Ale
distributes ice                     value. So, with the support of Heifer        Fahrenheit, created a loyal customer
cream outside                       Nepal, the cooperative worked with           base for the product, which was
the Bihani facility
late last year.                     the municipality to convert a vegetable      previously scarce in the area. Now
                                    collection center into Bihani Dairy.         Bihani kulfis are sold at local markets,
BOTTOM RIGHT
                                         The dairy started out collecting just   in a nearby school and via rickshaw.
Since the
beginning of                        150 liters of milk a day, and the women

                                                                                   One reason for the
the COVID-19                        traveled to each farm to convince
pandemic, the
women of Bihani                     farmers to sell their milk to Bihani.
Dairy have
been taking
                                    But after only four years, Bihani’s           cooperative’s success
                                    production increased to 1,850 liters,
the necessarily
precautions to                      and now the farmers come to them.             is their adaptability.
keep their business                     “Many people didn’t trust us since
running safely.
                                    it was an exclusively women-led                 Adaptability became even more
                                    business,” said Mina Ale, cooperative        crucial in March 2020, when the
                                    manager. “But we faced this challenge.       COVID-19 pandemic led to a nationwide
                                    Now people respect us.” Competition          lockdown. Nepal’s Lumbini Province,
                                    is an issue now, she said. After seeing      where Bihani is located, was one of
                                    the success of Bihani, three other           the regions affected the most. The
                                    groups have opened dairies.                  cooperative quickly adopted social
                                         One reason for the cooperative’s        distancing measures so they did not
                                    success is their adaptability. When the      miss a single day of milk collection,

26 |                  SPRING 2021
although they had to reduce milk
intake to 1,200 liters daily. They also
encouraged farmers to make curd
and clarified butter to reduce any
excess milk and worked with local
authorities to ensure their farmers
could procure feed and forage for
their livestock during the lockdown.
     As a social enterprise, Bihani
Dairy invests most of the money
it earns back into the community,
with the rest reserved for further
improvements for the business. Before
the pandemic, the group put together
a fund to financially support families
who lost a loved one and supported
new mothers by creating a savings
account for their newborn children.
     Recently, the group used some of
their funds to create both low-interest
loans for struggling farmers and a
contribution of 10,000 rupees, or $84,
to the municipality’s COVID response
fund. Bihani also connected with other
like-minded institutions in the area to
form the COVID Control Group, which
raised funds for relief and helped
establish a 20-bed quarantine facility.
    “We are exploring creating a high-
volume storing system so we don’t
have to suffer like we did this time
due to COVID-19,” Thapa said. “We are
also in the process of diversifying the
milk into various products in a larger
volume so that milk does not have to
go to waste. We are hopeful that the
future holds better prospects for us.”
     Part of that future includes expanding
the scope of Bihani Dairy. As of now,
the majority of milk collected is sold to
a larger regional dairy. The women of
                                                                  PHOTO COURTESY OF HEIFER NEPAL

Bihani are preparing their facility to take
on more of a processing role, and they
are also creating a brand for Bihani Dairy
to then market products in a wider range.
In Nepali, “bihani” means “morning,” and
that imagery is included in the logo.
    “Since it was just starting, we named
the dairy Bihani,” Thapa said. “It’s also
a sign of good things beginning.” n

                                              HEIFER.ORG   | 27
Cypress Valley
       U.S.
                            Upholds High Ethical
                            Standards Despite
                            Pandemic in the U.S.
                            By Liz Ellis
                            Photos by Philip Davis

                            ANDY SHAW, OWNER AND CO-                     alone, 239 large-scale processing
                            FOUNDER OF CYPRESS VALLEY MEAT               facilities reported a total of 16,233 cases
                            COMPANY in Clinton, Arkansas, is             of COVID-19 among workers, with 86
                            shining a light on how to process meat       COVID-related deaths. By September
                            safely and humanely, even in the face of     2020, 56 plants around the country were
                            a pandemic. As the sole meat processor       still closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks,
                            for Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative,        further straining supply chains.
                            which was formed in partnership with              While large-scale meat plants struggle
                            Heifer USA, Cypress Valley plays a vital     to control outbreaks and continue to feed
                            role in the food system, linking small-      the country, that has not been the case
                            scale farmers and consumers.                 for Cypress Valley, which continues to
                                But processing and packaging meat        operate safely despite the pandemic. The
                            is a technical, complicated task, and it’s   secret to this public health achievement?
                            not always done properly. The U.S. meat      Turns out, it starts with treating your
                            processing industry has come under           workers well.
                            intense scrutiny during the coronavirus           Shaw believes that when employees
                            pandemic. Cramped working conditions         are prioritized and treated like family,
                            and crowded floors have made it more         they take pride in every aspect of their
                            difficult for many of the country’s meat     work, including health and safety
                            processors to keep their employees           protocols, which are essential in the meat
                            COVID-free. In April and May of 2020         processing business. And employees

28 |          SPRING 2021
even go out of their way to improve
 upon them — for example, if a customer
 forgets a mask during a Cypress Valley
 pick-up order, they are provided with
 masks, gloves and other protective gear
 to use and take home. This is because
 an employee noticed customers weren’t
 always prepared, so he texted Shaw to
 suggest the improvement long after he
 had clocked out from his shift.
      Cody Harper, assistant plant
 manager at Natural State Processing,
 which is owned and operated by
 Cypress Valley Meat, credits the business’
 success to Shaw’s leadership. “It comes
 from the top,” Harper said. “The ethics
 and attitude of the leadership … and
 Andy’s eye for talent have built a team
 of superstars who love their jobs.” Kerry
 Harrington, processing coordinator at
                                                   When employees are prioritized and
 Natural State, added that a company’s          treated like family, they take pride in every
                                                aspect of their work, including health and
 culture can make all the difference.
“Plucking tail feathers for the right
 person is what showed me I didn’t want
 to become a surgeon,” Harrington said.
                                                  safety protocols, which are essential in
      It isn’t just dedication to providing           the meat processing business.
 a healthy, safe and happy environment
 for the frontline plant workers who
 package our food that makes Cypress              In fact, Shaw thinks more people         TOP LEFT
                                                                                           The Cypress Valley
 Valley unique. The company respects          will see the value of smaller businesses
                                                                                           Meat Company
 all beings who enter its doors, whether      like Cypress Valley on the heels of the      processing facility in
 it’s the animals, farmers, plant workers     pandemic. “Coming out of this, we will       Clinton, Arkansas.

 or customers, and that’s something           see a more decentralized food system,”       LEFT
 that has held strong throughout the          said Shaw.                                   Andy Shaw, CEO of
 COVID-19 crisis.                                 A decentralized food system is one       Cypress Valley Meat
                                                                                           Company.
                                              that relies on small, more localized
                                              businesses to grow, package and ship         TOP RIGHT
                                                                                           Employees at
                                              food. While large-scale producers and        Cypress Valley Meat
                                              processors are easily grounded by            Company process
                                              disaster, a network of smaller businesses    and package chicken
                                                                                           for Grass Roots
                                              can be more resilient. For example, if       Farmer’s Co-Op.
                                              one is forced to suspend operations for
                                                                                           BOTTOM RIGHT
                                              a time, other local processors could step    Cody Harper,
                                              in to fill the gaps and keep the supply      assistant plant
                                                                                           manager at Natural
                                              chain moving. Lifting up and embracing
                                                                                           State, which is owned
                                              more direct, regionalized supply chains      and operated by
                                              could help to strengthen the entire U.S.     Cypress Valley, poses
                                                                                           for a photo on the job.
                                              food system, and under Shaw’s direction,
                                              Cypress Valley is building a model for the
                                              rest of the country to emulate. n

                                                                                           HEIFER.ORG     | 29
LEFT
Rudra Pun and
Ganga Gharti,
in their newly
constructed home
in Rihar, Nepal.

RIGHT
Although the
new house is not
yet complete,
Gharti and Pun
already feel more
comfortable
than they did in
their old house.
Rebuilding in the
Shadow of Conflict

BY JASON WOODS, WORLD ARK MANAGING EDITOR
PHOTOS BY JOE TOBIASON

  Conscripted by Maoist rebels        As a reprieve from an arduous day of
                                      work in the stifling heat of southern
  at a young age, Ganga Gharti        Nepal, Ganga Gharti and her husband,

  and Rudra Pun spent years           Rudra Pun, sit in the corridor of their
                                      nearly finished home. “It always has a
  tangled up in the Nepalese          breeze like this,” Pun said. “Even if it’s
                                      peak summer, even if it gets really hot,
  Civil War against their will.       we don’t use a fan.”
                                          The new house is a significant
  But when the opportunity            upgrade from the old, a smaller thatched-
  finally arose, the two ran          roof house, which termites eventually
                                      infested. Now, Gharti and Pun live in a
  away from that life, together.      two-story, wood-and-stone house with
                                      four bedrooms and a sturdy roof. But
  What came next presented            enjoyment of the new home doesn’t last

  a new challenge, one that           long this day, not with two children to
                                      raise and a thriving goat business to run.
  they met head on with                   In 2012, Gharti received a couple of
                                      goats from Heifer Nepal. After taking
  the help of Heifer Nepal.           care of them for six months, she

                                                              HEIFER.ORG   | 31
TOP                    thought, “We had to look after        From 1996 to 2006, a civil     recruited both Gharti and Pun.
Pun and Gharti,
in their backyard
                       the goats whether we reared       war swallowed rural Nepal, and        “It’s quite fresh,” Pun said,
garden behind          one goat or two goats or more.”   families were caught between      “and I would never ever want
the house.             So why not turn it into           state forces and Maoist rebels.    those days to return again.”
RIGHT
                       a business?                       During the 10-year period,
Pun walks down             Now, Gharti and Pun           18,000 people died in the         CHILDREN OF WAR
the path near his
                       have about 55 goats, and they     conflict, and, according to a     In the latter part of the 1990s,
home to tend to
the family’s goats.    spend the better part of their    2006 article in The Guardian,     an offshoot of the Communist
                       days raising and caring for       Nepal also led the world in       Party of Nepal launched what
                       them. It’s hard work, but it’s    number of daily abductions.       they called a “people’s war” to
                       a far cry from the difficulties   It was during the middle of       overthrow the constitutional
                       they both faced early in life.    the civil war that Maoists        monarchy and establish

32 |                  SPRING 2021
CHINA
                                                   NEPAL

                                                          Rihar
                                                                                      Mt. Everest
                                                                          Kathmandu
                                               INDIA

                                      [The memory] is quite fresh, and I would
                                   never ever want those days to return again.”
                                   – RUDRA PUN

                                   Pun said. “I am somebody who        propaganda music for
                                   was almost killed. The police       recruitment purposes. “We
                                   thought I was dead.” Eventually,    used to make songs,” she
                                   Pun felt he had to choose a side    said, “which would suit that
                                   to survive.                         particular moment. We also
                                       “I was trapped between          had to learn the songs, and
                                   the Nepalese army and the           we had to teach people.”
                                   Maoists,” he said. Forced               Pun oriented new recruits.
                                   to make a decision, Pun            “It was not strenuous work,”
                                   acquiesced to Maoist                he said. “But at times we
                                   recruitment. “It’s better to get    had to carry arms, at times
                                   mad than die,” he said.             we had to carry bags.”
                                        One of the strategies              The insurgents moved
                                   the Maoists employed was            often, and when they did, it
                                   recruiting children. According      was by cover of darkness. Both
                                   to human rights organizations,      Pun and Gharti said traveling
                                   the group recruited around          throughout the night was
                                   4,500 children, sometimes           the most challenging part of
control of the country. Inspired   by force. Other times, rebels       their routine. “At the time of
by Chinese Communist               recruited children for              confrontation, we usually had
revolutionary Mao Zedong, the      participation in “cultural          to run away from places and
insurgents fought a guerilla war   conservation activities” like       protect ourselves,” Gharti said.
against police and the army in     dancing or singing, or in the      “We had to look for places where
the Nepalese countryside. Each     name of education. But in           we could be safe and protected.”
side routinely suspected the       some instances, the roles of the        Initially, Gharti bought
people living and farming in       children would quickly shift to     in to the message presented
those areas were siding with       the battlefield.                    to her and her peers. But
the other.                              The Maoists forced Gharti      over time, that faded. “They
   “I got severely beaten by       to join them when she was           said … people like us should
police and insurgents both,”       just 12 years old. She wrote        contribute to the country, we

                                                                                                          HEIFER.ORG   | 33
I feel like [our children’s lives] should be different.
       I want them to have the education that fits the
       generation that we’re in right now.”
       – GANGA GHARTI

       should sacrifice to the country.   see friends of my age going to      have been killed. So, we had
       Since I lacked awareness at        school and living a normal life.    to stay for them as well.”
       such a young age, I went. So,         “I tried so many times to go         But as both sides
       for a year or two, I just went     back home and study,” Gharti        of the conflict neared a
       along with the flow. But I         said. “But the organization         comprehensive peace
       realized there [were] so many      did not allow us to do so.”         agreement, and as international
       confrontations, and I didn’t           Pun added, “[Our families]      human rights organizations
       get to meet my relatives or        looked for us. But our families     began holding more sway in
       family members … and I could       considered us dead. Many            the country, it seemed the
                                          people disappeared, and             Maoists lost some of the power
                                          they thought we [had too].”         they held over Gharti and Pun.
                                              During their time with the          The two took the
                                          Maoists, Pun and Gharti met         opportunity to escape from the
                                          and felt a bond. They agreed        Maoists and start fresh. “You
                                          on their desire to leave the        can call it marriage or really any
                                          rebels, but it didn’t feel like     sort of agreement,” Gharti said,
                                          that was a viable option.          “but we just left, together.”
                                             “If we had quit the
                                          organization, then there would     A NEW LIFE
                                          be a threat to our parents,”       For six months, Pun and Gharti
                                          Pun said. “They would have         moved around while working
                                          been abducted; they would          in a paper factory and avoiding

34 |   SPRING 2021
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