POST-COVID-19 PANDEMIC: WHAT’S IT MEAN FOR AGRICULTURE?

Comments

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,936 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My hope for the US agriculture is that people took some of their time off and tried gardening then and got to taste the difference in the food grown without chemicals and allowed to ripen naturally so that when they have to go back and do not have time to garden they gain an appreciation of small and organic farmers.

  • dottile46
    dottile46 Posts: 437 ✭✭✭

    Good read. Thanks @Ruth Ann Reyes. It has changed the entire world in every aspect.

  • EarlKelly
    EarlKelly Posts: 230 ✭✭✭

    Noticed the difference too. Friend of mine asked if I could help out with his landscape business. He has a small mulch and soil center. Needed help making deliveries. Never saw so many gardening endeavors going on. Everyone seems to be building raised beds and also putting gardens in. All I did was make deliveries all day. Lots of topsoil and mushroom soil for gardens. Great to see everyone putting in victory gardens. Anxious to see how this all plays out.

  • Merin Porter
    Merin Porter Posts: 1,026 admin

    It is definitely true that, even though I was grateful to live in a farm-rich area prior to the pandemic, I'm even more grateful now. Another result seems to be that local farmers who used to provide to restaurants are now opening up their produce sales to individuals. We are joining a CSA created this year by an organic farmer down the street from us who used to sell exclusively to restaurants.....

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    It is interesting that lots of people got on board re growing your own during the lock down. Even down under, we noticed shortages of vegetable punnets, seeds etc. Lets hope people don't get lazy. I believe growing food and learning about nutrition should be part of the school curriculum. In the meantime, farmers markets, vegie boxes delivered to your door etc will become more popular and this movement will take off. Big agriculture will always exist and let's hope more farmers are encouraged to learn more natural techniques in the future but remember big chemical companies are just the same as big pharma! So the user has to drive the market, demand healthier food, don't by cheap, don't eat mass produced etc. In time things will change.

  • soeasytocraft
    soeasytocraft Posts: 237 ✭✭✭

    Mid May is the usual rush at greenhouses in our area. I went well before the end of April looking for strawberry roots. Couldn't believe how empty it was already. The owners were a bit shell shocked! Not prepared and looking for suppliers to keep some product on the shelves.

    I like to support a local gal who sells seeds. She said her business was up 400%! She was worried because the garden events where she sells her seeds were all cancelled. Happy for her success! She was getting pretty weary as she kept up with the demand. I hope the new gardeners have a great harvest and continue on the trend of growing their own food.

  • Nancy A.Maurelli
    Nancy A.Maurelli Posts: 44 ✭✭✭
    edited June 2020

    The article is in a publication (?) called "Successful Farming." Paid ads from agricultural chemical companies. Do you really think this information is worth reviewing, @Ruth Ann Reyes? I don't think we can solve any of our agricultural/food distribution problems using the same mindset that created the problems in the first place....