“One thing Wabash County farmers do really well is farm.” on Track website, some of these restaurants may begin to open with reduced-capacity seating and other restrictions. Any further restrictions, cancellations, closings and/or policy changes related to COVID-19 also could have a major impact on demand for your products. This means you must become proactive in connecting with your customers. People will still want to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, animal proteins such as meat, eggs, and dairy, and value-added food products, and they will still want to purchase flowers and vegetable seedlings.” The article goes on to encourage farmers to change business models, meet the needs of the market, find ways to reach customer base without increasing potential exposure to COVID-19 and to continue to generate income.
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Some of the methods suggested throughout the article include online or phone sales, delivery systems that promote safety, using social media, managing inventory, and adjusting scheduling with crops and livestock. Geoff Schortgen, the extension educator, discussed how Wabash County specifically is dealing with the changes induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and how these changes might cause long term effects to farmers and the community. “One thing Wabash County farmers do really well is farm. So they are getting their seeds in the ground and we are chugging along,” he said. “But we will have to wait and see for long term effects.” With the ever-changing situation, he also said that it is hard to know what this will mean long term for the
community, but at this point, things are doing alright when it comes to getting food to the community. Manchester and Wabash Farmers markets are currently running while practicing social distancing, Schortgen noted. In regards to the meat packing plants, many of the smaller ones are going full speed ahead while other larger ones are working hard to reopen. “They are trying to get those plants open and trying to get information out to farmers, as far as the pork industry, to either slow the growth of their pigs or limit the amount of litters they are having,” he said. For more information or help with issues arising in the agricultural fields, call Wabash County Purdue Extension at 260-563-0661, visit extension.purdue.edu/Wabash, or email gschortg@purdue.edu.
WABASH BUSINESS JOURNAL / SUMMER 2020
