A look inside the Agriculture Industry during COVID-19
Wash your hand and say your prayers because Jesus and germs are everywhere! This quote is more accurate now than ever. During this challenging time, many of us are working from home, limiting contact with others, and cherishing our time with our loved ones. In my case, that means working from home rather than in my office an hour away, limiting trips to the swine farms to reduce human to human contact, and helping my dad when I can. It never ceases to amaze me how things can go from slow to go on the farm. Not that there has ever been a lack of work on the farm, but spring hits differently when you work in agriculture.
Two weeks ago there was snow on the ground and while everyone was out hoarding toilet paper, I was home on the farm working with my dad. It was time to start getting ready for fieldwork, long nights, and back aches. The cattle markets were low due to COVID-19, and auction barns were asking farmers selling their cattle to drop their livestock off and leave. For those buying cattle, the auctioneers requested that everyone sit a minimum of 6 feet apart in the sale ring. The dining areas of the sale barns were closed to reduce contact, and farmers were asked to stand 6 feet apart when in line to pay for the cattle they purchased. But none of the farmers missed a beat. It was business as usual in the sale ring, farmers in a bidding war to get the best price for the cattle in the ring, crunching numbers to figure out if there is any way to make a profit.Â
That's what I love about this industry, we never stop. We don't get the luxury of having a sick day, or being able to sit in the house and watch television because the office is closed down. The farm is never closed. People are finally starting to realize how valuable the American farmer is. The farmer isn't just the guy holding up traffic on the highway, he isn't just they guy that owns the hog barns that disrupt your view, he's the one keeping you alive during these challenging times. Our farmers are working harder than ever to keep food on the shelves, making sure you have milk to drink, and meat to eat. Our farmers are working day and night to produce the safe and wholesome food the consumers are purchasing during this crisis.
The Dairy Industry
Living in Minnesota and working in Wisconsin, I see a ton of dairy farms on my drives to and from work. Unfortunately, for many of these farms it's already to late. Calf hutches have "for sales" signs on them in the road ditches, milking parlors that were once full of life are now caving in, and the radio is full of commercials for complete dispersal of dairy herds. (For those of you who may not know, a complete dispersal of a herd means that every animal in the herd is being sold. This is often because the farmer can no longer make a profit on their herd and can no longer afford to feed and maintain the herd for the small amount of revenue they receive in the end.) Seeing and hearing this all first hand is devastating. My time in Minnesota and Wisconsin have taught me that it truly is every man for himself. The agriculture industry depends on the consumers and depends on the corporations buying their products to keep them afloat. Recently, I've been learning that a lot of dairy farmers are struggling more then ever during the COVID-19 crisis. Dairymen are being forced to dump their milk on the ground, which means losing any profit they would have had from the milk being sold. However, the cows still need to be milked two or three times a day, the farm still requires their staff that need to be paid, and the cows still need to eat. That's a lot of money going out with none coming back in.Â
The fact that farmers are having to dump their milk seems particularly strange since there is no milk on the store shelves right now. How could that be? Fear. There is so much more out there than just selling milk in a carton for your home. Schools and restaurants both require large sums of milk, cheese, and other dairy products to fulfill their daily menus. With schools being closed, and restaurants either closed or with limited menus, there is less need for dairy products. Dairy processing plants don't require the same amount of milk as they did before, and they don't require the same amount of staff. Production lines are closing down, and there is less need for bulk dairy products (those that would go to a school or restaurant). Which means there is less need for large sums of milk, like those that the milk trucks go and pick up everyday from family farms. So, why isn't there any milk in the dairy cases? Grocery stores have begun putting limits on the number of cartons of milk you can purchase, the number of bags of cheese, etc. This is due to panic buying, panic buying forced people to go out and buy as much as they could, as fast as they could. Stores couldn't keep these products on the shelf, so they put a limit in place. This leads back to the problems of farmers dumping their milk, consumers aren't able to purchase as much milk as they used too, while dairies are still producing the same amount. Thus, creating an excess of the product. I wrote this piece because it is important that consumers are aware that farmers are still producing the same amount of milk, the limits are coming from the stores, not because there isn't enough milk to go around.Â
The Beef Industry
As for the beef industry, the price of beef on store shelves continue to rise while cattle markets plummet. COVID-19 has successfully disrupted the lives and eating habits of the average consumer while also expanding the injustice in the beef market. What does this mean? It means consumers are paying higher prices for beef products, but the producer is receiving less money for the animal. We see similar behaviors in the grocery stores as we do with the dairy products. The store is sold out of meat or limiting the number of pounds you can purchase. You may be questioning why the farmer isn't making a huge profit off of this crisis. Allow me to explain, the money isn't going to the producers pocket, it is going to the large processing plants, where they are keeping the money for themselves. The average producer isn't seeing the increased dollars you are paying for your meat products, that is staying the the pockets of the slaughterhouse industry. Many farmers will struggle this year with their calf crop and receiving low prices for their calves. This affects both producers and consumers because of the increase in shelf prices but decrease in producer profit.
So, what do I suggest?
If you want to help the beef farmers through this trying time, reach out to a local producer. Oftentimes, producers would be more than happy to sell you beef straight from the farm. This will also cut out the middle man and the money will go back to the producer. By buying local, you also receive the benefit of knowing how and where that animal was raised. You're supporting the next generation of family farmers, while also purchasing local and quality beef products.