Updated April 1st, 2020
It has been a busy few days nationally and in Alaska with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act being passed, the Alaska State Legislature going into recess after passing the budget (HB205) and the COVID 19 declaration/relief bill (SB 241).
There were some additional Health Mandates that came out the end of last week – we distributed information on the intrastate travel mandate, below is a link to the press briefing with Governor Dunleavy and public health officials on these mandates, there is also important information during the Q&A portion of the briefing.
There is a lot of information out there on what’s in the COVID 19 relief packages. In this email you’ll find several links to resources on these packages. There are also links to pages that are good to keep monitoring to stay up to date on what’s happening with COVID-19 and farming.
Make sure and check out links to different virtual classes and webinars coming up – especially the Alaska Farmers Market Virtual Conference coming up the end of the week – April 3rd & 4th! They have great sessions planned – check out the full schedule.
Yes, there will be a session relating to COVID 19,
- Friday 12:00-1:00 “State of the Markets Nationwide & COVID 19: Lessons from Washington, Minnesota and Beyond.”
There will also be a great opportunity for folks to brainstorm working together for success during a potentially crazy season:
- Saturday 4:15-6:00 “Resiliency, Together. Opportunities for Collaborations for Farmers Markets, Farmers, Food Hubs, Business and Educational Organizations Around Alaska”. Be sure and register for this event!
Alaska State Legislature The Alaska State Legislature went into an extended recess early Sunday morning after passing a budget and coronavirus relief package. In the operating budget there is funding to continue dairy inspections as well as funding for the Division of Agriculture. You can find information below with links to the bills and press releases providing additional details on what is in the bills.
- HB 205 APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET/LOANS/FUNDS.
- SB 241 EXTENDING COVID 19 DECLARATION/RELIEF
- Legislature Approves Budgets, COVID 19 Emergency Funding
- Legislature Extends Emergency Declaration, Provides Economic Relief includes link to a more comprehensive list of provision in SB 241
COVID-193/27/20 COVID 19 Press Briefing – Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and public health officials
Resources on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act:
- CARES Act summary – Courtesy of Senate Appropriations Committee
- AFBF Market Intel: What’s in the CARES Act for Food & Agriculture
- Alaska Chamber Business Resources for Coronavirus – this includes PowerPoints & audio files explaining the SBA Loan Program and the Stimulus Package
- SBA Covid 19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Application
- Nixon Peabody Explanation of CARES Act
- The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act – Courtesy of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepeneurship
Good resources to keep monitoring:
- DHSS COVID 19 Homepage – stay up to date on what’s happening in Alaska, access Health Mandates, etc.
- American Farm Bureau Federation – Impact of COVID 19 on Agriculture – Farm Resources
- Alaska Farmer’s Market Association – Farmers Market Resources
- Society of American Florists – COVID 19 and the Floral Industry
Online conferences/webinars:
- Alaska Farmers Market Virtual Conference
- Society of American Florists
- FACT – Strategies for Online Farm Stores
- Cooperative Extension Classes/Webinars
Additional Links:
Office of the State Veterinarian: https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/vet
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
Small Business Administration: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance
Alaska Food Bank: https://www.foodbankofalaska.org/covid-19-food-resource-update/
Alaska Small Business Development Center: https://aksbdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Alaska-SBDC-Tips-for-Food-Businesses-Impacted-by-COVID-19.pdf
Alaska Chamber Business Resources for Coronavirus: https://www.alaskachamber.com/business-resources-for-coronavirus/
Covid-19 Alaska Economic Impact Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6VWXMRN