A S P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N T T O T H E H U R O N D A I LY T R I B U N E
National Ag Day • DHIA• January 16, 2021
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Treating yourself is an act of self-care LISA TAMS MSU Extension
Michigan State University Extension offers a wide range of free social-emotional health and wellbeing programs for you to check out. So, go ahead and treat yourself! Sometimes you come first. (Courtesy Photo)
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Self-care is something most of us have heard of, and something that we might pay attention to from time to time. Self-care is any intentional act to tend to one’s physical, mental and emotional health and well-being. These acts of paying attention to our needs provide a balance between what we give to ourselves and what we give to others. Acts of self-care are not selfish and should be something that we personally enjoy so we will keep coming back to them. Treating oneself is an act of self-care. The only requirement is that you do something deliberate to take care of yourself. Consider something from this list the next time you are looking for ways to treat yourself without spending much
money: Listen to your favorite music. Listening to music can be restorative and is used as a regular part of formal psychotherapy. Research has shown that music therapy is effective in the treatment of depression, anxiety and a host of other mental health conditions. Exercise at home. You don’t need any equipment at your home or even a large amount of space. You don’t have to be confined to the indoors. You can opt to move outside in your yard, on your deck or around your neighborhood. Thirty minutes of exercise, five days a week, is shown to improve your quality of life, improve sleep, boost weight loss and a long list of other life improving benefits. Meditation or other forms See SELF-CARE page 3
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of mindfulness. Mindfulness can be defined as paying attention in an intentional way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally. Practicing mindfulness is effective in reducing stress-related symptoms such as worry, depression and physical tension. Michigan State University Extension’s Stress Less with Mindfulness is a free six-lesson series for adults that offers a different way of relating to our everyday lived experiences, including our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and behavior. Give yourself a facial mask at home. Spa treatments can be expensive, but you don’t need to go to a spa to treat yourself! There are so many ways to indulge at home on the cheap with just a $.99
mask purchased from the supermarket. Aside from the benefits of making your skin clearer and soft, one of the most powerful benefits an at-home spa treatment such as a facial offers is being in a safe space to connect to yourself and disconnect with the stressors of daily life. The ideas above are free or relatively low cost, but if you have the resources and want to spend money to indulge in a special treat for yourself, go ahead! In the acclaimed television series “Parks and Recreation,” two of the main characters spend time tending to their self-care needs, which really caught on and resulted in a national self-care day called “Treat Yo Self,” (Oct. 13). Setting aside a specific day of the week, month or year will give you something
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to look forward to. Consider something from this list if or when you have money to devote to an indulgent act of self-care: Shopping. Who hasn’t gone shopping to elevate their mood after a stressful day at work or parenting, after a break-up or even just for a quick mood booster? Retail therapy gets a bad rap, but according to research, it not only provides an immediate mood booster, it can also combat ongoing sadness and stress, as well as increase one’s personal sense of self-control. The key to making it a functional self-care strategy is to indulge in something that you really want or have been eyeing for a while, not overspending and regretting it later. Getting a massage. The doc-
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umented benefits of human touch include reducing heart rate and the level of harmful hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline; these are present in our bodies when we are stressed. Aside from improving our emotional well-being, there are also physical benefits of massage, such as increasing our circulation and releasing toxins from the body. Buy yourself a journal and get busy writing. There are so many interesting journal covers and colors at the bookstore to choose from. Get inspired! Journaling about the stressors of life and work can be an effective coping mechanism over the impacts of stress that accumulate in our minds and bodies. Journaling is most effective when done consistently. To
get started and to maximize the mental health benefits, commit to it on a regular basis. It’s important to find a routine that works for you, whether it’s once a day, once a week or twice a month. Although treating yourself can take place on a special day such as a birthday, anniversary or other occasion, it can be any day. Sometimes treating yourself can take the form of things that cost money, but there are many ways to treat yourself to something special that are relatively inexpensive or completely free. Michigan State University Extension offers a wide range of free social-emotional health and well-being programs for you to check out. So, go ahead and treat yourself! Sometimes you come first.
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MSU awarded USDA-NIFA grant to support Native American students in agriculture The $140K Growing Native American Student Pathways into Agriculture will expand opportunities and support systems for Indigenous students at MSU. Beth Bonsall ANR Communications & Marketing Michigan State University (MSU) has been awarded $140,000 to support the Growing Native American Student Pathways into Agriculture as part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This investment comes from the USDA New Beginning for Tribal Students grant program in the 2018 Farm Bill, which Michigan
Senator Debbie Stabenow co-authored. “The MSU leadership team thought it was important to create a program to support Native students’ academic pursuits,” said Dr. Christie Poitra, interim director of the MSU Native American Institute. “We were interested in working with students who had yet to declare a major or minor in hopes of attracting them into agriculture and natural resources fields. Although this program is about recruiting students into agriculture and natural resources,
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it’s also about expanding their knowledge of opportunities in higher education.” In addition to Poitra, MSU leaders collaborating on the grant include Dr. Angela Kolonich, director of professional learning in the CREATE for STEM Institute; Dr. Quentin Tyler, associate dean and director for diversity, equity and inclusion in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR); and Dr. Kelly Millenbah, senior associate dean and director of academic and student affairs in the CANR. “STEM disciplines have historically excluded Native American perspectives, lenses and knowledge,” Kolonich said. “Lifting our students’ ideas by supporting their success in STEM programs at Michigan State will ultimately change and reshape the field. It will open the possibility of exploring new questions and developing new explanations that have not yet been considered.” The two-year Growing Native American Student Pathways into Agriculture program will recruit freshmen and sophomores starting in the fall 2021 semester. Students will be paired with a faculty mentor based on their interests in agriculture and natural resources. Mentors will support students’ professional development through opportunities to shadow faculty research, fieldwork and outreach activities. The MSU chapters of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences and the North American Indigenous Student
Organization will provide additional ways for students in the program to develop an extended community on campus. “My hope is that this program will build capacity for faculty mentors and students to support one another as part of a network that learns and grows together,” Kolonich said. “Students will learn from mentors, but also how to support one another as peers.” Early support and belonging In planning for the Growing Native American Student Pathways program, both Kolonich and Poitra reflected on their own experiences as college students and their interactions with Native students. Kolonich is from Manitoba, Canada, and grew up in Michigan. She is of mixed ancestry and connected with Red Cliff (Lake Superior Chippewa) where her husband is a tribal member. Kolonich has over 15 years of experience as an equity-focused educator working with teachers and students. “One of the things about going to a university, especially a predominately white institution like Michigan State, is that it can feel very isolating,” Kolonich said. “With such a big university, it’s easy to get lost in the numbers. Having peer-to-peer relationships to leverage and a dedicated faculty mentor as part of this program will be a tremendous support for our students.” Poitra grew up in rural Northern California and is
a first-generation college graduate. She is Latina and a first-generation descendant of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians (Pembina Ojibwa). “Being of mixed background with multiracial parents, I didn’t really feel like I always belonged in higher education,” Poitra said. “I participated in a lot of student support programs, and those programs are why I pursued a Ph.D. Those important moments of programmatic and faculty support can have beautiful, long-term impacts on students’ lives.” Honoring the Whole Student The Native American Student Pathways grant is also interconnected with previous work by Poitra and Tyler as part of the National Science Foundation grant, Honoring the Whole Student: Developing Good Practices for Supporting the Intersectionality of Diverse Undergraduate Students in Geoscience. The resulting Honoring the Whole Student workbook will be used in learning sessions with eight faculty mentors in the Growing Native American Student Pathways program. This training will help mentors better understand the diverse identities, perspectives and backgrounds that Native students bring to higher education. Bringing Native perspectives into agriculture and STEM fields is important work, especially around areas connected with natural resources, land stewardship, See GRANT page 5
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GRANT
Continued from page 4
climate change and conservation. “Native and Indigenous people were the first farmers in North America, and agriculture has been a mainstay of the Native American culture and economy for thousands of years,” Tyler said. “It is important to note that they have contributed to many of agriculture’s most utilized inventions and practices. To have Native and Indigenous perspectives present in higher education and agriculture, we are gaining a valuable perspective that has proven to be essential to our society’s social, cultural and economic well-being.” Indigenous people’s connections to land are part of their cultural values in many communities across the nation, as well as within Michigan. “Whenever you bring in diversity, it makes the institution stronger and more efficient. Although our Native numbers are small, our
perspectives enhance everything,” Poitra said. “Thoughtfully investing in diversity, equity and inclusion makes things better for all.” Poitra will develop a program evaluation, including success outcomes and measuring perceptions for students and faculty mentors as part of the Growing Native American Student Pathways grant. “It’s important to engage in this kind of work for student success, but it’s also important to share knowledge about what works and what doesn’t work with the broader academic and administrative community in higher education,” Poitra said. “This work will help grow knowledge around student support from a different perspective as a group of Indigenous and minoritized folks who are leading this work.” Student success is much broader than academic success and graduation rates. It encompasses whole student success, and that’s where
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programs like Growing Native American Student Pathways can provide support systems that scaffold more holistic success for students across different backgrounds. “We can only truly talk about student success when we talk about success for all students, and when we consider whole person success,” Millenbah said. “To truly value diversity, equity and inclusion in the CANR, we must be sure all voices, opinions and experiences are heard and at the table. Our differences are our assets, and each person is a unique contributor who makes our entire community stronger.” For more information on the program visit www.canr. msu.edu/nai/projects/honoring-the-whole-student/index.
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Salad greens growing at the MSU Student Organic Farm. (MSUE/Courtesy Photo)
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Planning and managing direct marketing opportunities for beef KEVIN GOULD AND JEANNINE SCHWEIHOFER MSU Extension Consumer interest in farm direct purchases of meat products since the onset of COVID-19 is a good news-bad news scenario for producers. Demand for locally sourced beef has skyrocketed, which generally equates to a higher market prices. The bad news? It’s also created big demand for very limited processing capacity at local facilities. In many cases, farmers are making harvest appointments 12 to 24 months in advance at small processors and cattle for these appointments may not have even been born or procured. This increases the importance of pairing proper cattle selection and nutritional management with careful planning to optimize direct marketing opportunities. Communication and scheduling harvest appointments with the processor
Management is key to finishing cattle at the proper time for small meat processing appointments. In many cases, farmers are making harvest appointments 12 to 24 months in advance at small processors and cattle for these appointments may not have even been born or procured. (Pleasant View Dairy & Beef/Courtesy Photo) are critical, and it is important to understand and follow the appropriate regulations. Sale procedures
will be different depending on how beef is marketed. Selling the live animal is required when custom
exempt processing is used. Slaughtering and processing at federally inspected processors allow for mar-
keting of individual cuts or bundles of meat. Selecting cattle that will achieve desired carcass quality, including marbling deposition and carcass weights in a timely manner, will impact business profitability. Ask questions about the about health protocol, genetics or breed type, and what to expect if you are not familiar with a breed. The exact breed is not as important as feeder calf quality and genetic potential that equates to mature size, carcass yield, and propensity for marbling. A good feeding program is key to producing a high-quality carcass in the time you have before the harvest appointment. Growing and finishing diets differ in energy and protein density and result in different rates of weight gain. Feed resources, cattle size, environmental conditions, and management can all affect cattle growth. See BEEF page 7
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BEEF
Continued from page 6 The key is developing your feeding program to keep cattle growing efficiently using balanced feed rations. Michigan State University Extension beef educators are available to help balance rations if needed. Beef producers should consider utilizing safe, science-based technology where appropriate such as vaccinations and parasite control products to achieve cattle health and well-being goals. Also, some of the best technology available for increasing cattle performance come from ionophores and growth promoting implants. These technologies are proven safe and have shown to effectively increase gain, improve feeding efficiency and achieve a heavier market weight in fewer days. One pound of fat deposition requires 2.25 times more energy to achieve compared to one pound of lean muscle, so finishing is more cost effective when using proven
technologies. Marketing “naturally raised� cattle will increase production cost and time on feed compared to using these technologies The question of knowing when an animal is ready for market or finished is common and the answer comes with experience. Cattle generally grow skeletal mass as they reach a mature frame and then begin to increase fat deposition. Fat, also called adipose tissue, is deposited in stages, and relies on a solid nutritional source of energy for the animal. First fat is deposited around internal organs for protection and this starts happening at a young age for the animal, then intermuscular or seam fat, and subcutaneous fat or backfat are deposited. The final type of fat to be deposited is marbling or intramuscular fat. Marbling is the desirable fat that increases juiciness and flavor for greater consumer satisfaction. Fat is deposit-
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ed earlier in the front of the animal, so it is critical to observe how fat deposition has progressed for timely marketing. Determining market readiness is best done by assessing or measuring fat thickness between the 12th and 13th ribs. Estimating the amount of finish on the live animal is a skill that improves with experience. Look over the last two ribs for uniform fat cover and handle the animal if possible to feel the fat between the hide and rib. Observe fat deposition on either side of the tail head and fat fill in the brisket area. These areas will help identify harvest readiness. Over-finished cattle generate more fat trim and waste for customers. The desired
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12th rib fat for direct marketing is generally in the ranges of 0.3 to 0.5 inches for beef breeds and 0.25 to 0.35 inches for dairy type breeds. Customer preference may influence your decision to harvest at a leaner or fatter level. Follow-up carcass measurements and observations at the processor are helpful to understand the actual level of finish that was achieved. Desired carcass weights are important to satisfy market demand. General carcass weight should range from 600 to 950 pounds, depending on sex or cattle type. Smaller framed cattle may be desirable for specific customers. When selling freezer beef direct to customers, it is
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helpful to discuss customer needs including cut preferences, packaging, ground beef fat content, and appropriate recipes for various cuts of beef. The goal is for customers to fully utilize the final product and become a repeat customer. Each processor will do things a bit differently. Producers need to understand the processing options and help customers with cutting and packaging options. Processors will also assist in communicating options with customers. Additional resources are available from MSU Extension for pricing grain finished or grass finished freezer beef.
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New FARM Crates for spring school outreach JEREMY C. NAGEL AND AMELIA MILLER Michigan Farm Bureau
FARM Crate Monthly Classroom Kits are available February through May for grades K-5, featuring a monthly, agriculturalthemed lesson with a partnering storybook, lesson plan, Nearpod interactive online lesson and more. (Courtesy Photo)
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More than 2,000 FARM Crates shipped to teachers across Michigan last fall, thanks to your support of the new ag-accurate classroom kits for K-5 educators. Similar to other subscription boxes (Stitch Fix, HelloFresh, etc.), FARM Crates arrive in classrooms early each month, bringing some of the fun of field trips back to students whether they’re meeting in person or online. Each crate includes a food or agriculture book, Agriculture in the Classroom lesson resources, a hands-on, grade-appropriate lesson and support materials, an online extension activity and a teacher gift. With the ongoing uncertainty of in-person pro-
gramming, the Michigan Foundation for Agriculture is again underwriting the cost of FARM Crates for early 2021. County Farm Bureaus will want to get in the action early, especially if ordering a full subscription. FARM Crate Monthly Classroom Kits are available February through May for grades K-5, featuring a monthly, agricultural-themed lesson with a partnering storybook, lesson plan, Nearpod interactive online lesson and more. They’re for sale to the public for $35/month and to county Farm Bureaus for $30. Buy a full, four-month subscription by Jan. 25, and you’ll get one month free. More details about each of the 2021 FARM Crates: February: Season of Love — The weather may still be frightful, but Michigan farmers are working day and night
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to care for their land, livestock and water. You’ll meet a Michigan livestock farmer, learn how they care for their animals and experience hands-on STEM lessons along the way. Order deadline: Jan. 25 March: Fruit, Veggies and Springtime — Ever wonder how farmers get those springtime seedlings ready while we’re still wearing winter coats? Virtually tour a Michigan greenhouse, learn how tasty fruits and vegetables get their start and do seasonal, hands-on STEM lessons that meet grade-level content standards. Order deadline: Feb. 28 April: Egg-cellent Experiments — We’re not yolking, this crate is an egg-cellent gift for the young (and young at heart) scientists in your life! Get a behind-the-scenes tour of a Michigan-laying hen farm, hands-on lessons that meet grade-level science standards and egg-citing STEM experiments. This crate serves a book, teacher gift, and virtual and hard copy lesson plans sunny side up! Order deadline: March 26 May: Inventions, Engineering and Innovations — Do you know a budding Henry Ford, Marie Curie or Temple Grandin? Students will use this crate to try engineering concepts while meeting a real Michigan farmer and inventor. Learn about inventors of the past who paved the way for the technologies we use today! Order deadline: April 30 Have your P&E chair or volunteers work with your CAM to order through the Michigan Ag in the Classroom store subscription tab. MFB staff contact: Amelia Miller, 517-679-5688
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How did consumer food purchasing habits change in 2020 and what does it mean for the future? How food purchasing changed in 2020 – Did we get it right? RON GOLDY, BOB TRITTEN, AND JOYCE MCGARRY MSU Extension The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt our lives. In May, we wrote this article with our predictions on how food purchasing would possibly change during the upcoming growing season. Now that the growing season is over, we’ve updated this article to see how accurate we were and look ahead as to how we think food purchasing habits in 2021 and beyond might continue to be affected. Our first prediction was that there would be less travel, and that proved true. From Transportation Security Administration numbers, April 2020 air travel dropped to 25% of April 2019 and by November it was still only 40% of 2019 levels. Likewise, according to YCharts
U.S. Gasoline Station Sales, April 2020 gasoline usage dropped to 60% of 2019 and by November it was 87% of 2019. Finally, according to Statista monthly occupancy rate of hotels, April 2020 hotel occupancy dropped to 25% and at this writing is 20% below 2019 levels. Two other predictions that proved true were fewer dollars spent eating out and less consumer buying power. These predictions were due to government restrictions on dinein restaurants and decreased spendable income due to higher unemployment and furloughs. United States Census Bureau Statistics revealed 2020 restaurant and bar sales dropped from $65 billion in February to $30 billion in April. Sales have since recovered to near $55 billion. Fast food drive-through and restaurants with significant takeout revenue were not as affected
as dine-in restaurants. In most areas, dine-in restaurant restrictions have been partially lifted, and national unemployment has decreased from 14.7% in April to near 7% in November. We also predicted that with less travel and cancellation of summer events, consumers would turn to other outdoor activities and that would include a visit to direct market operations and farmer’s markets since they would be perceived as safe options for an outdoor activity due to greater openness of the facility. These were “no-brainer” predictions, but the intent was on how these changes would in-
fluence food purchasing and the trickledown effect on fruit, vegetable and other producers. Less travel for any reason has a serious effect on food consumption patterns and purchases. When people travel, they eat meals at restaurants. One salad, or tomato and lettuce on a sandwich or hamburger may not seem like much, but magnify that by all the salads, hamburgers and sandwiches not served and it becomes a substantial number of items not consumed. With travel and dining out currently increasing, demand has partially returned. However, much of this downturn occurred during the northern vegetable production
season where decreased demand resulted in lower prices and decreased sales. Food purchasing patterns that effected sales also changed drastically when schools and universities went virtual. People still needed to eat, so in contrast to decreased restaurant sales, interest in meal and grocery delivery service increased substantially. These two services gave consumers the option of having restaurant-style meals and groceries delivered directly to their door. This was especially helpful to those in a high health-risk group wantSee FOOD page 10
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FOOD Continued from page 9
The coronavirus pandemic has provided many lessons for consumers and producers. (MSUE/Courtesy Photo)
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ing to maintain a safe social distance. The final three predictions we made were an increase in buying local, an increase in home food preservation and more pickyour-own activity, all these proved to be true. A summary of Google searches as reported by Alba Collart found an increase in searches for the phrases “local food,” “cottage food” (home food processing) and “home gardening.” An item produced locally is thought to be touched fewer times and therefore has a greater perception of safety. The buy local/home gardening/home food production and preserving interest was first seen in an increase in vegetable seed purchases and then how quickly garden centers and greenhouses sold out of vegetable transplants and feed stores sold out chicks and ducklings. The interest continued through the season with direct farm marketers seeing an increase of 30 – 50% over 2019. This increase came through more customer visits and an increase in sales per customer. Direct farm marketers worked hard to quickly make significant and costly changes in their farms to keep customers distanced and safe. Pick-your-own operators
also experienced an increase in customer activity of 20% or more. The increase in customer activity was so great for some pick-your-own farms, that customers were required to make a picking appointment. We also warned consumers that if they were going to do home food preservation, they should get supplies as soon as possible. We were correct, according to Syracuse’s “No can do: Pandemic canning trend causing shortage of lids and jars for home gardeners.” There was, and still is, a national jar and canning lid shortage. Many online sales sites still indicate their water bath, steam and pressure canners are out of stock and stores are bare of canning lids and quart jars. These shortages have led to price gouging of canning supplies, hoarding and extravagant shipping costs, and frauds from online sales. These consequences have caused some consumers to use unsafe processing methods, such as paraffin as a sealant. Botulism is highly toxic and is a main concern in home preserved foods. It is not visible and has no smell or taste. Using improper food preservation methods can have deadly consequences. For safe, researched information on safely preserving foods at home, Michigan State University Ex-
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tension recommends visiting the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Renewed interest in home preservation probably has two reasons—safety and security. Confidence in safety is increased through greater understanding of how the food was produced and processed. More control over package handling increases confidence in its safety. Confidence in food security is increased because the user has the product stored at their house and is less concerned about the item disappearing off the shelf in the event of panic buying. The ability to process and store also enables them to take advantage of promotional food sales and lower prices when supply is high. Another measurement of the food security concern is seen in the demand for locally produced protein. Delivery of local produced beef is currently four to six months from the date of order. So, what do we foresee for 2021 and maybe beyond? Even if a vaccine comes out by early next year, it is unlikely we will return to a pre-COVID-19 way of life anytime soon. Some things will temporarily change, while others have a chance of being permanent. The one big thing COVID-19 has taught us is the fragility of our current way of life and how dependent we are on things and people beyond our control. There will be an effort by some to become less dependent and better plan for emergencies and this is probably a good thing. Numerous internet sites and written materials exist to aid those making emergency preparedness plans. However, caution is warranted since some sites may cause more fear than security. A good place to start is the US government website Ready.gov. The “buy local” movement was on the upswing prior to COVID-19, so that is expected to continue and strengthen now that additional consumers have See FUTURE page 11
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had to hire extra employees to a gradual return to a more norassemble, pack and transport mal level, which will be good for experienced farm markets, farmthe orders and were willing to commercial growers. However, er’s markets and direct sales of absorb the cost in 2020, but producers targeting these marfruit, vegetables, beef and other that is not economically sustain- kets should be cautious about protein products. How much of able long-term. increasing production and an increase is hard to gauge but Consumers frequenting farm- probably stay at or near 2019 it would be worthwhile for direct er’s markets in 2020 probably production levels. To be profmarket producers to plan on noticed many vendors had preitable the restaurant business increased 2021 sales and adjust packaged items. This will condepends a large part on volume production and marketing. tinue and probably become the sales. With volume decreasing Those not doing direct marketing norm rather than the exception. during the COVID-19 pandemshould consider direct marketing Prepackaged items don’t allow ic, several restaurants may not if they are in a position to sell a for inspection and selection reopen. As consumers remain portion of their products in this of individual items, but they cautious, fast food and take out manner. Beef producers selling are safer since the item is not sales are expected to continue locally should also consider indirectly touched by customers to be strong for the near future creasing herd size since local beef that are simply curious. at least. demand will probably remain Home food production and One permanent change that high. Farm supply businesses preservation will probably will happen for some consumwill probably also have increased continue so consumers should ers is continued use of delivery demand in chicks in ducklings again get supplies early. Many services, especially grocery. for at least 2021. first-time home gardeners Many consumers did not enjoy, Direct marketers with valprobably have new appreciaor life’s demands were too great ue-added products (bakeries, tion for commercial producers. for the grocery store experience jams, jellies, etc.) and agritainProduction of many fruit and in the first place, and having exment facilities should likewise vegetables is not as easy as they perienced not doing it, they will plan for similar demand in 2021 might have thought and to progladly pay someone else to do as they had in 2020. Events duce enough at one time to fill a the actual shopping and deliver and festivals may return but 7-quart canner takes a lot more items to their door. there will still be some residual space, effort and time then what We are social beings with a concern about crowded events. A they thought. However, many strong desire for community significant portion of those who will try it again in 2021 and and interaction. Everyone dehad this farm-oriented experiperhaps purchase quantities sires a return to pre-COVID-19 ence for the first time in 2020 locally rather than produce it normal, but that will not will most likely be back in 2021, themselves. happen. Therefore, we must especially if they have children. With the expected introducproceed forward adapting to This will also be true for picktion of a successful and safe vac- changes as they come and doing your-own. If customers do not cine, institutional food service the best we can for our families, see pick-your-own as a means and restaurants will likely make our community and ourselves. of saving money, many will do it again for the experience. One adjustment made by many direct marketers that will continue was their increased use of various social media platforms and online sales. Most were already using multiple platforms ELECTRIC CONTRACTOR for advertisement, but many set up an online system where customers could go to see product availability and to order and Your pay. Customers would then go Electrical Licensed & Insured Connection to the market and an employee Since 1975 Specializing in Agricultural Wiring would load their order into their vehicle. This created a touchless, 28 Westland Drive, Bad Axe • 989-269-8171 social-distancing experience. Emergency 989-553-1004 • Fax 989-269-6670 This will continue for some operations, but consumers should www.maurerelectrimi.com expect to pay for the service in the future. Many operations
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