We’re all use to walking into the grocery store and having pretty much anything we want available to us right there. Then Covid 19 hit. Suddenly TP, and paper towels were scarce. And then the meat aisles went bare and “WTB?!” (WHERE’S THE BEEF) was heard across the nation.
You didn’t plan for this. No one did. But uncertainty is the one-thing farmers do count on. And so you learn to prepare, re-think, and reach out for to those around you—your community. A good strategy not just for farmers, but everyone.
An interesting thing this global crisis has done is shown a light on the increasing importance of the small farmer. More than just a face at the weekend farmers market, they have in many cases become the neighborhood restaurant’s mainstay for fresh ingredients as well as provided direct access to high quality meat for anyone concerned about where their food is coming from.
Besides uncertainty, farmers also believe that you don’t let a good crisis go to waste. Learn from it. Find out who your local farmers are and what they raise. Not just for next time the aisles are bare but just maybe because you’ll find out you like what they’re selling, and you like knowing a bit more about the food you and your family are eating. And because if communities don’t support their local farmers next time there’s a food shortage may find yourself saying “WTF?” (WHERE’S THE FARMER).