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Brian Fiscalini is optimistic that the dairy industry can produce healthy food during any time period.

Nikki Putnam-Badding - Healthy at home: Food, mood and immunity amid a pandemic

As people around the world adjust their lifestyles to social distancing restrictions, it’s more important than ever to keep our lives in balance and our health in check. As a registered dietician and director of human health initiatives at Alltech, Nikki Putnam-Badding is an expert on supporting immunity and well-being through nutrition. Join us as she shares her tips for eating healthy, shopping efficiently and maintaining a sense of normalcy during the pandemic.

Hosted by Michelle Michael

Co-produced by Brandon Whitworth

The following is an edited transcript of Michelle Michael’s interview with Nikki Putnam-Badding. Click below to hear the full audio.

Michelle: Hello! I'm Michelle Michael. In this special series of AgFuture, we're talking with those working along the food supply chain about the impact of COVID-19. My guest today is Nikki Putnam Badding, a registered dietician and, also, a colleague of mine. Nikki is the director of human initiatives at Alltech. Nikki, thank you so much for being with us today.

Nikki: Thanks for having me, Michelle.

Michelle: Let's talk about self-care. This pandemic, it can feel overwhelming. People are dealing with information overload, long work hours, caring for family during those work hours and a whole host of other things. It's important, though, I think, to pause for a moment, collect ourselves and just admit that this is, at times, a taxing situation and it can impact our well-being. Is that right?

Nikki: Absolutely.

Michelle: As a dietitian, what concerns you most about people during this experience?

Nikki: Well, as you mentioned, Michelle, this is a really challenging time for everyone. I think it's really easy to let that self-care slip on occasion. We're trying to focus on our new roles, on working from home, maybe taking care of children and other family members at the same time. Really, what we want to focus on from a nutrition and health perspective is choosing a healthy lifestyle for the short and long term for your overall health and wellness — so following general good health guidelines is really one of the single best steps you can take for yourself and to keep your naturally functioning immune system strong and healthy.

Every part of our body, including our immune systems, functions better when bolstered by healthy living strategies — for example, trying to quit smoking, if you're a smoker; eating a diet high in whole foods, like lean meats, seafood, dairy, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats; continuing to exercise regularly, which can be really tough during a time like this; maintaining a healthy weight; drinking alcohol in moderation, and that'd be one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men; trying to get adequate sleep as much as we can; and also, trying to minimize our stress levels.

During this time, proper nutrition and hydration are absolutely vital. People who stay active, eat a well-balanced diet and take supplements as necessary tend to be healthier and have stronger immune systems, which is very important at a time like this, and (also have) a lower risk of chronic illnesses and infectious disease.

Michelle: When you talk about strengthening our immune systems to fight off illness, can you talk a little bit more specifically about which nutrients or which foods we should be taking in to boost our immune system and stay well during this pandemic?

Nikki: Sure thing. As I mentioned, good nutrition is essential to a strong immune system, and it may offer protection from seasonal illness and other health problems. Although no one food or supplement can prevent illness, you can actually help support your immune system by including some key nutrients in your overall eating plan on a regular basis. While, unfortunately, just eating one orange here or there won't do the trick, a truly healthy immune system depends on a balanced diet, normal sleep patterns and regular exercise.

A few nutrients that are known to help support a strong immune system are protein, interestingly enough, which plays a role in the body's immune system, especially for healing and recovery, and vitamin A, because it helps regulate the immune system and protect against infections by keeping our skin and the tissues in our mouth, stomach, intestines and respiratory system healthy. Vitamin C, the one we all know, supports the immune system by stimulating the formation of antibodies. Vitamin E works as an antioxidant and may support immune function as well. Vitamin D is in there; it promotes an immune response that helps defend your body against pathogens, and there's zinc, which helps the immune system work properly and can also help wounds heal. Finally, selenium, which has an absolutely crucial role in a wide variety of physiological processes, affecting immune response — and the immune system in general actually relies on adequate dietary selenium intake.

Though I usually tell people it's best to get most of your nutrition through food, a specific vitamin or mineral supplement may benefit your health and overall wellness in the instance that you're not reaching the recommended daily intake of a nutrient, or perhaps you're utilizing them as a part of a preventative health regimen.

Michelle: And not just upping your nutrient intake, Nikki, but many of us are limiting the number of times that we would go to the supermarket to pick up fresh foods. What are some tips for healthy eating when we're minimizing our trips to the store or maybe even the selection is limited, in some cases, temporarily?

Nikki: Yeah, that's a great point. I think purchasing, storing and cooking fresh food can be really challenging when we're advised to limit trips outside of the home, particularly to the supermarket, so my first recommendation would be to try to keep up as much as possible with that fruit and vegetable intake. Whenever it's possible to get ahold of fresh produce, do so, of course, but depending on where you live, what time of year it is and, now, as you've mentioned, the availability, due to interruptions in the supply chain or perhaps other people who are food hoarding, you can't always get your hands on high-quality, fresh produce, so the next best thing is frozen. Manufacturers most often freeze fruits and veggies at peak ripeness, which means they pack a similar nutritional value as their fresh counterparts. Just make sure you're choosing options without added sugar or sodium. You can also swap in healthy dried or canned alternatives when fresh or frozen are not available. Although canned vegetables and dried fruits do tend to be a bit lower in quantity of vitamins than fresh, they are a great fallback option when fresh produce or frozen are hard to come by.

I also like to mention that other canned items that are great to have on hand are canned beans, because they do provide an abundance of nutrients, and they can be stored for months, sometimes even years, and they can be included in meals in many ways. Same goes for canned fish, such as sardines, mackerel, salmon — they all provide great protein sources, omega-3 fatty acids and a range of vitamins and minerals — and then having some dried goods on hand is a good backup, like dried beans and grains. One last note on this front: I know it's really tempting to stock up on processed foods like ready-to-eat meals, packaged snacks and treats. They're often very high in saturated fats, sugars and salt and, at the same time, provide us with less nutrition. So, in that vein, also try to avoid sugary drinks as much as possible and, instead, drink lots of water and other low-calorie beverages.

Michelle: I hear from you, certainly, that fresh is best, and I've talked to many growers or farmers who feel that perhaps people at this time are shying away from fresh produce because of a fear that COVID-19 can be spread through food. From you, from a dietitian — can you answer that question for us? Can this spread through food?

Nikki: I'm really happy you asked that question, Michelle. First and foremost, I should note that, of course, I'm not an infectious disease expert, but following the basic guidelines of hygiene and food safety, it's very unlikely that the virus could be spread through food — but not entirely impossible, meaning that it's possible the virus can get onto or into food if someone who is infected coughs or sneezes on the food or has the virus on their hands and touches the food. But unlike bacteria that causes foodborne illnesses, coronavirus doesn't multiply on food. There's currently no evidence to suggest it can be transmitted through food or water systems, but a lot of experts are saying that sharing food and beverages during this time should be limited, and always continue proper home food safety.

Michelle: Well, would it be safer, then, during this time, to — if you're buying fresh produce — would it be safer to cook it and consume it that way?

Nikki: Potentially. I don't think consumers need to be fearful of eating fresh produce, raw fruits and vegetables, though it's possible that someone who is infected sneezed directly on a banana and you picked up that banana and touched your face. You could get infected, but you're much more likely to get infected by standing next to that person while shopping for that banana. That's why social distancing, putting at least that six feet of space between you and other people, is so important. Interestingly, about cooking, the World Health Organization has said that the virus is probably susceptible to normal cooking temperatures, so you don't need to cook food any differently than what you typically do for food safety. These experts are saying that cooking your food to the same temperatures required to kill pathogens that cause foodborne illness is also likely to kill COVID-19. That would be, as a reminder, 145°F for fresh pork, beef roast and fish; 160°F for egg dishes and other cuts of beef; and 165°F for poultry, ground beef, or reheating pre-cooked ham or leftovers or casseroles that might contain some of those pieces of fresh produce you mentioned.

Michelle: If we are going to eat that raw produce, fruits and vegetables, are there certain precautions we need to take at this time — differently washing the fruits and vegetables than we would have before this pandemic?

Nikki: At this time, many of the expert organizations are saying no, we don't need to take any different measures than we did before. Just make sure to thoroughly wash those fruits and vegetables when you get home.

I know there's a lot of questions out there, too, about (whether or not you can) pick up COVID-19 from food packaging. This is a question that the CDC actually addressed recently, and they're saying COVID-19 is primarily transmitted person to person through respiratory droplets, so currently, there is no evidence to support transmission of the virus through food. In general, because of the poor survivability of these viruses on surfaces, there is likely a very low risk of spread from food products or packaging, but that being said, if you touch something that has the virus on it — like a food package or produce or a package of meat — and then touch your nose, mouth or eyes, you could become infected. So, before preparing or eating food, it's important to always wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Also, just making sure you're wiping down those surfaces when you get home after you've picked up your groceries. Make sure, when you unpack your food, you just wipe everything down. Make sure you're tossing away those disposable bags, if they came in that, or washing your reusable bags immediately when you get home.

Michelle: Good advice. Nikki, when it comes to plants, processing plants, farmers — a lot of times, those vegetables, they're picked by hand. A lot of that is done by hand. I know that they're practicing social distancing, but should we be concerned about food coming from areas where there is a high risk of COVID-19?

Nikki: Actually, according to the Department of Agriculture's recent updates on COVID-19, they're saying there's no evidence to support transmission of the virus with any of those foods that had been either imported or transported throughout the country. It's important to remember that, unlike bacteria that causes foodborne illness, the virus, as I mentioned before, doesn't multiply on or in foods, and the current research shows that it can only survive for a very limited time on most surfaces. Most often, even if a product or packaging were carrying the virus or it was handpicked by someone who was infected and maybe had the virus on their hands, it would most likely die during transport. I think that can put a lot of consumers' minds at ease — although, as I previously mentioned, it's always just a good idea to keep following that (guideline to) wash your fresh fruits and veggies when you get them home from the store and wipe down that food packaging, just for that final line of defense.

Michelle: We keep hearing about the importance of supporting local businesses, especially restaurants, during this time, as the bulk of their business is gone. They're only doing takeout right now or curbside pickup or delivery, but is that safe? Is it actually safe to get takeout and delivery from restaurants during a pandemic like this?

Nikki: Yes, it is. I'm happy to hear that you mentioned supporting local businesses, particularly restaurants right now, when we can't dine in. The takeout and delivery from restaurants can actually be a very good alternative to obtaining food because, unlike grocery shopping, it really does greatly reduce the need to interact with other people. Most restaurants have instituted contactless delivery or pickup practices that allow people to either pre-pay for food or receive it without coming close to another person, which we know is the biggest risk factor for the disease, interacting closely with other people. If you are worried about bringing those foods into your home, to further reduce your risk, just transfer that food, that takeout, to a plate when you get home, dispose of the containers and then, again, always wash your hands before you eat — but it is a very good and, typically, very safe way to obtain food.

Michelle: We keep hearing about the 65-and-up population (being) at an increased risk of COVID-19 at this time. I wonder, from a dietary point of view, somebody in that age bracket — does the immune system change with age, and does that age group have to eat differently?

Nikki: Yes. As we age, our immune response capability becomes reduced, which, in turn, may contribute to more infections. While some people age healthily, the conclusion of many studies is that, compared with younger people, elderly folks are more likely to contract infectious diseases and viruses and are more likely to die from them. Interestingly, there appears to be an even stronger connection between nutrition and immunity in the elderly. A form of malnutrition that's actually surprisingly common, even in affluent countries, is known as micronutrient malnutrition. Micronutrient malnutrition occurs when a person is deficient in some of the essential vitamins and trace minerals that are obtained through diet. Older people often tend to eat less, and they have less variety in their diets. One important question is, perhaps, whether dietary supplements may help older people maintain a healthier immune system — something to be discussed with their doctor or dietitian.

Michelle: I wonder, Nikki, if you can talk about why, during this time, (when) everybody's schedules are just changed suddenly, everybody's lives are just uprooted and nothing is normal, why is it so easy to get off-track, and what can we do to try to maintain some sort of normalcy from a dietary perspective?

Nikki: Yeah. As you've mentioned, Michelle, it's so easy to get off-track during this time because our schedules are changed, and many of us have been forced into this change without any prior warning — working from home, taking care of children and family members from home — and everything's just been thrown out of whack. Some really important things, and fairly easy things, that you can do is just try to keep yourself on a regular schedule. Go back to thinking about what was your schedule for eating, grocery shopping, working out, trying to stay active, sleep — what were your tactics for minimizing stress before this? Try to pull in as much of those tactics as you can, because many of those you know already worked for you, and then try to change that around and make it fit your new schedule.

Those people who have kiddos at home: I think a really nice way to entertain kids and keep them busy is to involve them in mealtimes. Have more discussions about food. This is a fantastic time to talk about where food comes from, how it nourishes their body, and get them really involved in planning and preparation of food, and then try to do more things either as a family or, if you don't have kiddos, just get outside when possible and where it's safe to spend some time moving around. There are also a lot of really great online resources where you can find at-home workouts. I recommend that to a lot of people, even if you do it for ten minutes a day. It's just a nice way to keep moving.

Try to stay to a normal work and sleep schedule. It can be very difficult while we're working from home to step away from our computers and close everything down like a normal eight-to-five or nine-to-five business, because our office is right there, so try to make sure you're stepping away for breakfast, lunch, dinner, maybe even snacks, if you can, just to get a break from the computer and a break from work, and try to go back to some normalcy.

Michelle: If you've never had time to prepare your own meals, to fall in love with cooking, it seems like this might be a good opportunity, even.

Nikki: Certainly. I've seen that there are a lot of YouTube channels that are jumping in popularity. There's one I really enjoy: it's Italian grandmothers making old Italian recipes and pasta. I've seen their viewership just skyrocket recently because people are taking a new interest in preparing things from scratch, or some of those YouTube channels that are showing people how to just start cooking from the very beginning. As you've mentioned, there's no better time than now to start learning.

Michelle: Nikki, do you have any other recommendations for keeping our food and keeping our kitchens safe?

Nikki: Yeah. First and foremost, when you're going out for food, just a reminder, wear a mask and gloves when you're going out for food, to get groceries or picking up takeaway meals, and if you do use reusable grocery bags, masks or gloves, make sure you wash them immediately upon returning home. That's really important — or use single-use bags or disposable protective equipment during this time. We can't stop hearing this, but wash your hands regularly, as recommended by countless international organizations, plus before preparing and eating food. Even if you picked up your phone while you're eating lunch, make sure you wash your hands again, because a lot of those viruses and contaminants can stay on phones and surfaces and the like for much longer than they would on food.

Try to keep your kitchen a safe zone by removing non-cooking items from countertops. I know many of us, myself included, often end up tossing daily items here without thinking twice, putting mail on the countertop. Don't put grocery bags or takeaway bags on your countertops. Also, try to clean them every time before you prepare a meal, and sanitize kitchen surfaces, including your refrigerator, stove handles, cupboard pulls and the like, on a regular basis.

Michelle: It adds so much to grocery shopping and preparing food, but some very important advice. Nikki Putnam Badding, a registered dietitian with some really fabulous advice on taking care of ourselves during this time. Nikki, take care of yourself, and thank you so much for joining us today.

Nikki: Thanks, Michelle.

Michelle: For additional resources on COVID-19, visit alltech.com.

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People who stay active, eat a well-balanced diet and take supplements as necessary tend to be healthier and have stronger immune systems, which is very important at a time like this.

Terry Brebes - Growing concern: The realities of wasted produce

News stories and photos depict the difficult circumstances that many growers face in midst of COVID-19: fields full of fruits and vegetables that will never make it to market. What factors actually contribute to the loss of so much fresh, safe food? Terry Brebes, crop advisor for Simplot Grower Solutions, shares the realities of why it has been challenging for producers to sell or even donate their crops, and what it all means for the food supply.

Hosted by Michelle Michael

As lead video producer at Alltech, Michelle travels the globe for the company’s award-winning Planet of Plenty™ documentary series. Michelle spent a decade as a video producer/reporter in Germany, reporting from military hotspots at the height of the war on terrorism. The National Press Photographer’s Association (NPAA) has twice recognized Michelle as their solo video journalist of the year.

Co-produced by Brandon Whitworth

As the senior media production specialist at Alltech, Brandon co-produces the company’s award-winning Planet of Plenty™ documentary series. Brandon is a two-time Emmy Award winning television news photojournalist and three-time nominee. He has received several reginal awards from the National Press Photographers Association for excellence in visual storytelling.

The following is an edited transcript of Michelle Michael’s interview with Terry Brebes. Click below to hear the full audio.

Michelle: Hello! I'm Michelle Michael. In this special series of AgFuture, we're talking with those working along the food supply chain about the impact of COVID-19. My guest today is Terry Brebes. Terry is a crop advisor for Simplot Grower Solutions based in the Guadalupe region in California. His day-to-day job is to advise growers on crop inputs and make recommendations to growers.

Terry, this pandemic is really testing our food supply chains around the globe. Americans are stuck at home. Lots of people around the world are stuck at home trying to curb the spread of the coronavirus. We live in some really strange times. People are hoarding items like toilet paper. Meanwhile, there's an abundance of leafy greens — in fact, so much that, where you are on the West Coast, growers are letting their crops die in the field, in some cases. That is unprecedented. What does the world look like through your eyes in California right now, and how is that different than it was before this pandemic?

Terry: Well, it's a scary thing. We have businesses shut down. We have people having to stay home. Like you said, we have growers disking crops. There's just no movement of produce at this time, right now.

Michelle: How tough is it? What does your world look like, and how is it different?

Terry: Well, it's different than — as far as my job goes, it's different where growers are cutting back on things they wouldn't cut back from (normally). They don't even worry about looking to disk it. It's just a tough time in agriculture.

Michelle: Let's talk about the future of food. In good times, normal times, the majority of lettuce and broccoli and such, they're actually sold to restaurants and schools, not necessarily to the supermarket. With the shutdown of those places, what's happening, Terry?

Terry: Well, the lettuce and broccoli and the stuff that goes to the restaurant is cut in more than half. It's down to 30% to 40%, and it's a direct outcome of the schools and restaurants and institutions being shut down. Nothing's going there. They're not buying anything, the restaurant owners. The kids aren't in school. As far as the restaurants go, their businesses themselves are 20% to 30% of what they used to be.

Michelle: Is that the case? Is half of it sold to restaurants, the other half sold to supermarkets? What is that breakdown?

Terry: I don't know what exactly the breakdown is. On the retail side, I don't know, but there are companies that do nothing but bag stuff that goes to restaurants and schools, and they're moving absolutely nothing.

Michelle: I want to talk about, maybe, some of the many things contributing to the situation that crop producers are facing. Let's just start with the basic nature of how the coronavirus spreads from person to person, through droplets from coughing and sneezing, and it's transferred on surfaces. Has the migrant workforce been impacted by COVID-19, and do you envision that being something of a problem in the future?

Terry: Well, as far as migrants, our workers are always here. There are certain programs, like the H-2A programs, where they can visit us and work here for so long. Some of those people that are first-time coming over — the borders are closed now for them, but we've always had a shortage of work right now. We've always had a shortage of work here in our industry, but just trying to keep the workers safe is an issue. They're doing all they can to do that, but as far as finding people to work, it's always been an issue, so as far as COVID-19 affecting that, not really.

Michelle: Broccoli, cauliflower, those things — most vegetables are harvested by hand. Are people afraid right now not just of working, but afraid that produce, at this time, is infected, and is that further hurting growers?

Terry: Well, it is, because the markets are up and there's just no demand. They're not shipping anything out, and it's a perishable item, and people are afraid of it. You walk into the produce department and there's plenty of produce on the shelf — and there's nobody in the produce department. People touch it. People sneeze on it. People cough on it, so they're not taking it, and it's affecting the grower dramatically.

Michelle: How much of an impact are we talking about, Terry? How much waste do you think is happening, where producers are being forced to just walk away from ripe vegetables?

Terry: The leafy greens are really taking the hit. There was a time here, a week ago or two weeks ago, between here and the Salinas Valley, (when) we were disking between 120 to 150 acres of lettuce a week.

Michelle: What does that look like now?

Terry: It's starting to sustain a little bit. We're starting to harvest just for the reason that the markets are picking up and there is a little bit more movement, so we're not wasting as much right now as we were a couple of weeks ago.

Michelle: In your mind, is this pandemic possibly going to mean the end for some growers? Can they maintain financially? Have you talked to any of them, and how are they holding up?

Terry: Well, it will, because banks are nervous. The growers are nervous. I talked to a grower the other day and they had to replace a well, and the pump company that did their work wanted to be paid up-front. Everybody is just uncertain about what's going to happen. A grower? They can't stop farming. They have to put everything out there, and they don't know what they're going to get out of it.

Michelle: Is that changing pricing? Is the pandemic driving pricing in a different direction?

Terry: Yeah, it dropped to — for example, cauliflower and broccoli, they were four bucks, and you have to break even at six bucks, but now, the price of everything is starting to climb, except leafy greens, cauliflower, broccoli, stuff like that. The prices are starting to climb (in some areas, but in that sector,) there's just no movement. You just can't move it.

Michelle: At the consumer level, should we be concerned at all that growers are — as they're walking away from their crops, should we worry that fresh produce soon might not be available in supermarkets?

Terry: No, I don't think so. A grower can always overproduce, which they usually do anyway. Like we talked about, there are certain commodities that aren't available like other commodities because we're walking by them in the field, but as far as fresh produce, I don't think we'll have a shortage of it.

Michelle: The impact — is it across the board, Terry, or is there a difference if you're a big grower versus if you're a smaller grower?

Terry: It's a difference in how long you are going to hang on. Bigger growers, they have more assets than smaller growers, so they can hang on longer than a grower that just survives on cash. Bigger growers have more assets, so the bank will deal with them a little better.

Michelle: I'm sure you've talked to smaller growers and larger growers during this time. What are the smaller growers saying right now? Are they afraid? Do they have fear? What is the biggest emotion that you get from them at this time?

Terry: They're all afraid. Like I said, they can't stop growing. It has to be business as usual, as much as they can. They have to put everything out there, and they just don't know what their return is going to be, so everybody is a little bit nervous, in that sense.

Michelle: Do you think, Terry, that this pandemic could potentially cause corporate farming to be the way of the future, if these smaller growers can't maintain financially?

Terry: Well, I think it's going this way and that way anyway; it just might push it that way a little faster. For example, if you've got a huge corporate grower, especially with all the regulations in California that say we need to implement this new food safety program this year and it's going to cost us $1 million, a corporate grower or a bigger grower just goes out and says, "Well, we're going to need 1,000 more acres to farm to pay for this," and so they'll go out and buy another 1,000 acres and farm, where the smaller guys just can't do that.

Michelle: Tell us more about what you see as the short- and the long-term implications of what's happening right now.

Terry: The short-term is they're really taking a hit now. You've got packing sheds that are working at 30% of capacity. They're leaving products in the field. And the long-term, I don't think anybody knows right now. Everybody can speculate that, of course, this thing is going to turn around at some time, but it's just when, and how far are we going to take it.

Michelle: Yeah, and certainly, everybody's trying to find their way right now. Terry, I'm wondering if you can add any perspective behind why a farmer, why a grower, can't simply harvest his or her fields and donate the produce somewhere? Why let it go to waste?

Terry: That's what's happening now. I think I sent Steve an article about (how) Gulf Coast Farms is actually donating a lot of their cauliflower to some of these kids that can't afford lunches. They can still go to certain schools and pick up lunches. People are starting to do that now, too, but a lot of it is perishable, too, so they have a hard time with that, but there's a lot more. Plus, they have to pay (for) the labor, and when they donate it, they get nothing for it; they take a loss on it. But it's happening a lot more now that a lot of these guys are starting to — at least a portion of their fields that they might not harvest right now, they're harvesting and donating to food banks and churches and such like that.

Michelle: Isn't it also true that you can't simply donate a literal ton of food to a food bank? Food goes bad. It's not like donating a couple of crates of broccoli; you're talking about truckloads of produce with nowhere to go. Is that right?

Terry: Yes. We have a grower out here that just about all his lettuce goes to Taco Bell, and he can't get anybody to take it.

Michelle: What's happening to him?

Terry: Well, he's a pretty good-sized grower. He's pretty diversified. Right now, they're okay. Everybody is okay right now, but they don't know how long they're going to be okay for. Internally, it could be more than we know, but as (far as) we know right now, everybody is okay.

Michelle: Terry, you deal with growers on a personal level regularly. How has your day-to-day as a crop advisor changed?

Terry: Oh, you don't talk to anybody face-to-face. You don't go into anybody's office. Tempers are a little flared. People are a little bit more short with you. You go out into the field and it's like a ghost town. You don't see anybody. Business, right now, is all over the phone or all texting or emails. There's just no face-to-face business anymore.

Michelle: Terry, you've made pretty good friends in some of these growers who are suffering terribly right now. What are you thinking as you see this all unfolding? Emotionally, how are you holding up, and how are the growers holding up?

Terry: Well, everybody's trying to stay optimistic. There are guys that — it's like, in our business, anybody who tells you right now, "We're not going to work with you," well, they're not going to be your customer when this is over, and that's just what it is. It's a relationship. I feel for them. I feel for their families, and they feel for us, too. We're all in the same boat, but it's just a somber feeling. It's just all uncertain.

Michelle: Terry, you've been doing this for a really long time. How many years?

Terry: Simplot, nine years, but I (spent) 16 years before that with another company.

Michelle: I want to know, from all the experience you have: have you ever seen anything like this? Growers face uncertainty year-round, but this — has there ever been anything like it?

Terry: Never. I've never seen anything like this. This is new to me.

Michelle: Farmers, of course, they're resilient. We know that. Is this a breaking point for them?

Terry: I don't think so. I think most of them have the attitude that it's just a small setback. (In) farming, they have them all the time. It's a stressful world, the (world of) agriculture. We fight adversity every day, and this, I think, this is something most of us have never seen before, but we're going to get through it, and I think everybody has the same attitude.

Michelle: A lot of times, you hear about crisis driving innovation. I wonder if, through this pandemic, do you see the potential for opportunities — even if it's a different way of doing business down the line?

Terry: Yes. I think there's a lot of talk here, on the coast, about certain crops being harvested mechanically that aren't harvested mechanically now. A lot of people are working on things like that, and I think it's going to really speed things like that up so, if something like this happens again, we're not so dependent on field workers.

Michelle: Terry, as a crop advisor, what's your biggest fear, your biggest concern, right now?

Terry: My biggest (concern) is customers I have going out of business. If it goes that way, if these bigger farms start taking things over, there's just not enough work to go around for all of us. That's my biggest fear right now.

Michelle: Do you feel that the world will perceive agriculture in a different way after this? Right now, it's up to growers. It's up to farmers. It's up to producers. Without them, there is no food at the supermarket. Do you think that they will be perceived differently — in a more positive light, maybe?

Terry: Well, I sure hope so. I would like to think they would. I don't think that the impact of it has even hit yet, how much the farmer feeds the world. I really hope that people will see how much we are needed and just the issues that we face just to put something in the store or to put something on your plate.

Michelle: You talked about some of the uncertainty and some of the hardships that farmers go through. When you look at your growers right now and you see what's on their face, how do you describe it?

Terry: It's just uncertainty. Like I said, it's just a somber thing. You just listen to, "Man, we're running 30% today. We want to take how many pounds of spinach, and we're only able to take this many because we can't sell it.” A lot of it is, right now — because right now is usually a good time for the markets because it's a transition between the desert and the coast, so markets are usually good right now, and they're all missing out on that.

Michelle: Terry, I hear a hint of what I would say is optimism in your voice. How are you staying so positive during this time?

Terry: Well, you have to. You've got to keep going. You've got to keep moving on and do the best job you can for these guys, because they (have to) pay their bills. You have to right now or you're going to go crazy. When you've got to go straight from the field to home and to have to stay there, you've got to stay positive and just hope that we're going to get through this, or you're going to go nuts.

Michelle: How do you see us coming back? When we turn back on the economy, how will growers respond?

Terry: Well, I think it's going to take some time. I don't think markets are going to boom. I think they'll be steady for a while, but I think they're going to bounce back fine, and it'll be just business as usual when this is over.

Michelle: Terry, I certainly appreciate hearing the positivity and the optimism in your voice. It's a great thing to hear during these uncertain times, and we really appreciate you being with us.

Terry: No problem.

Michelle: Terry Brebes, a crop advisor for Simplot Grower Solutions. Terry, stay safe and well, and again, thank you very much.

Terry: No problem. You too.

Michelle: For additional resources on COVID-19, visit alltech.com.

Click here for additional COVID-19 resources.

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As people are shopping more frequently at grocery stores, why have growers faced difficulties selling their fruits and vegetables?

Dave Preisler - Pork and the pandemic: Confronting another crisis

The global pork industry was already grappling with African swine fever when the COVID-19 crisis struck. As the pandemic tests the dynamics of the food supply and closes some facilities, what does the future hold for one of the world’s most popular protein sources? From a state that produces 18 million head per year, Dave Preisler, CEO of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, shares how the battle-tested pig sector is confronting unprecedented challenges and applying lessons learned from ASF.

Hosted by Michelle Michael

Co-produced by Brandon Whitworth

The following is an edited transcript of Michelle Michael’s interview with Dave Preisler. Click below to hear the full audio.

Dave: You bet. My pleasure.

Michelle: Dave, you're heavily involved in the pork industry, and at a national level, you represent Minnesota pig farmers. Tell me a bit about your role, what you do day-to-day to represent swine producers in your state.

Dave: Sure. My primary role is really more along the public policy, public affairs side of things, so not only interacting with the senators and representatives that we have in Washington, D.C., but also working with our state legislature and, also, a whole host of state agencies. There are times when you wonder how some of those meetings go and the value of having all of those contacts, and then you run into a situation like this and, boy, your call list becomes pretty important, because it takes an awful lot of people and a lot of moving parts to try and deal with situations like this.

Michelle: I can only imagine right now how things have changed for you. Describe for us what it's like right now in your shoes with COVID-19, your day-to-day.

Dave: Sure. I'd say that the biggest thing is just, really, constantly being on the phone — conference calls, webinars — and trying to get the absolute best information, first of all, that we can share with our members. We're really driven by our members and their interests, which are pork producers, and so, everything that we do is really through that lens of what's the best for the hog farmer at that farm level. It's really, then, trying to connect those dots and see how we can move things forward. I will tell you, there is nothing easy about this whole thing, and I don't think that's news to anyone, and it's extremely complicated, but our job is to try and see how we can navigate through it, and that's what we're committed to do.

Michelle: Certainly, the entire globe, right now, is trying to navigate this thing — and we have a very global audience. Can you explain to us how many pigs are in Minnesota compared to, say, Iowa, which is home to some 23 million pigs?

Dave: Sure. Minnesota, annually, would produce about 18 million head, which would put Minnesota second — not quite a distant second — to Iowa. We would be just ahead of North Carolina. We have been a state that's experienced what I would call really sustainable growth over time, pretty steady growth each and every year. This is a really competitive place to raise pigs because we have plenty of feed and we have plenty of land from a standpoint of recycling the manure.

The other thing that we really have here are people — and people that are really good at what they do, whether it's employees and farmers at the barn level, vet clinics, feed companies, other pieces of infrastructure. They're just really good here, and it makes (this) a good place to raise pigs. That's why, over time, it's grown, and folks have been successful.

Michelle: Many of those people you are referring to, we've met some of them firsthand, and they're very passionate people. When you look at their industry right now — the swine industry, specifically — what are you seeing? In some parts of the country, COVID-19 has halted production at processing facilities. What are you hearing or what are you seeing firsthand about the impact of this pandemic on those very passionate people that you're talking about?

Dave: Well, first of all, it's really personal, because we're talking about families — and families living (here) that they've been making over the years, and what they've built up within their communities. It's also personal for communities, and I think that's something that folks need to understand: that it's not just about the farm. It's also the communities that those farms support, nurture, grow and bring along. That's — when we get times like this, it's not only difficult on the farm. I mean, it's really difficult on the farm, but in turn, it's going to be difficult on real communities. That's the discussion that we're having as we talk with our legislators and representatives at a state level and at a federal level, is that things like this have real consequences for rural communities.

So, as we're communicating with people, one of the things that we are urging folks to do is to call, especially, their senators and representatives that do represent them in Washington, D.C., and talk with them about what the impact of this has been — whether it's not being able to sell pigs, the current market condition in general — and then bring it right down to the personal level as to what that does for their family and for the communities that they live in. I think those are going to be the most effective stories as we try and work with people that represent us in Washington, D.C., because then, they know what the actual personal impact is. That's something, I think, that's incredibly important to do, and we would hope that all of your listeners follow through and do that same thing, not only for their own farm, but also for the customers that they're serving.

Michelle: What are some of those specific stories that you're hearing right now, Dave, about the impact on the community and the producers?

Dave: I think, first of all, we start at the producer level. We know we've got some pretty incredible disruptions at packing plants. Currently, we have a major packing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that is closed. We have another packing plant that is attempting to open back up in Iowa, which has been closed for a little over a week now. We've also got some real slowdowns that have occurred to varying degrees at different plants around the United States, and some of that may be just a very slight slowdown because of either (dealing with) issues or being able to have enough employees. Some of that may be real, from a standpoint of employees that are experiencing illness, and quite honestly, some of it is fear, so there's a combination of things there on the employee side.

The other thing is, as we look at moving pork and what's happened in the whole dynamic of a moving product right now, is that, by and large, the restaurant industry in the United States is shut down. There's still some takeout work that's going on, but that's really a small portion of what was going on in the restaurant or food service side. So, you have this giant pivot that's occurring, with packing companies trying to take material that would have gone to restaurants and move it into retail. That's just something you don't do overnight, so you have that combination of labor issues, health issues, and then, also, that pivot that it takes to try and reroute product. Those, I'd say, are two of our biggest things as we look at the whole packing sector and continue to try and work through that.

We're just currently at a spot, at least right now, where we're not having a matchup of pigs that are available for processing and the available packing space that's out there today, and so, we have farms that are doing a whole host of things trying to slow pigs down and nutrition companies actively working with farms to try and help them through that, but you can only do that for a short period of time.

Michelle: Right. You talk about shutting down a plant. That certainly has a ripple effect. What happens at the farm level? To keep it simple, a farmer has to keep feeding his animals for growth, for meat quality. Now what? What do farmers do? What do producers do in this situation?

Dave: I think those difficult decisions, quite honestly, are starting to be made right now. I have no doubt that we will see pigs, healthy pigs, that will be put down on the farm in order to adjust to what's going on right now. I think the only question mark is how many, and I don't think anyone has got an accurate forward view of what that number will end up being, because it really depends on how that packing dynamic changes and adjusts and how soon, for example, the plant in Sioux Falls can come back and how quickly the plant in Iowa can ramp up and, then, what happens with other plants that have got some slowdowns right now. That's a dynamic that, quite honestly, changes every day, and so, I think it's difficult to predict how many. All I can tell you is that it will happen and it's starting to happen. I think it's just a question of where it brings us. I think we're going to have many more difficult decisions in about a week, from everything that we're hearing from farms, if we don't see this packing dynamic change.

Michelle: There are an awful lot of unknowns at this point. How, in your eyes, will this affect the availability of pork? There have been some stark warnings and reports of those factories closing, as you mentioned. As workers themselves test positive for COVID, should we, the consumers, worry about a shortage in the supermarket, for example?

Dave: Yeah, I think that you've got, again, a few things going on. We have heard from CEOs of food companies and packing companies laying that warning out. I know that the CEO of Smithfield was very clear about that in press releases that they've had just in the last few days, laying warnings out there about food availability going down the road. Again, I think, without a doubt, there's going to be some sort of an effect. What we don't know, again, is to what degree. We will have heavier hogs that will go through plants as we have things backed up, so that's going to create a dynamic there, but then again, it ends up being that consumers still have to consume that product. I think, again, (I don’t have) a crystal ball; it's depending on how long this goes on in our current situation. Again, we will have decisions made on farms where they're going to have to decide whether to breed sows or not; also, what to do with putting down healthy animals on the farm. I don't really know that we're going to see that kind of food availability piece for, probably, a few months or several months, because it takes a while for that to fully work through the system.

Michelle: When you talk about putting down healthy animals on the farm — COVID-19 is unprecedented. Is something like that unprecedented as well in your industry?

Dave: It is. There have been other times in history — specifically, 1994, 1998, 1999 and 2008 — where there have been some incredible times from a standpoint of being challenging economically, where there were heavy losses that occurred at the farm level. The thing, I think, that's unfortunately different about this one is that there are just so many other dynamics. For example, for the most part, what happened in those other downturns is we just had a fairly simple non-matchup of supply and demand and a fairly simple supply and demand curve. We had a lot of pigs, not enough packing capacity and/or demand for that product on the other side, but we've never had the dynamic of workers, really, in the whole thing and worker health and that sort of piece.

The other thing that we've never had is just a complete switchover in a really short period of time from food service over to retail, and those are two dynamics that I don't know that anyone has ever modeled, because they certainly haven't happened in real life. So, I think that makes this much different, and it makes it a whole lot less predictable than a simple supply-demand curve that we saw with other downturns previously in our histories, if we look at the marketplace.

Michelle: Sure. Now, talking about the workers, with social distancing in full force around the globe almost everywhere right now, how do workers stay safe, and how is that impacting the availability of workers in the swine industry?

Dave: Yes, there are a couple of things there. We do have packing plants today and, really, within the last, I'd say, ten days or so, that have been really active in supplying personal protective equipment over and on top of what they normally would. The other piece is doing some staggered entry and exit out of packing plants, some staggered breaks, staggered lunch breaks, that sort of thing, to keep people separated. Then, most plants, too, especially the ones I'm familiar with here in the upper Midwest, are also installing Plexiglas barriers between workers on the line, very similar to what we see — in fact, exactly similar to what we see — in grocery stores in the checkout lines today in order to help create that barrier, create that social distancing that everyone acknowledges needs to happen in order to prevent spread and improve (or limit) exposure.

The other thing, again, that I've seen with the packing plants that we've interacted (with) here is they're taking this very, very seriously. They've got a commitment to their workers, to keep them safe, and I know they're taking that seriously — plus, they know they need to have healthy workers that continue to operate their plant to provide food. That combination, hopefully, will be good for us as we try and continue to work through this, but so far, again, what I've heard from our plants — they've been working very closely with our state Department of Health on the human health side to make sure that things are being done in the best way possible to protect workers. I think as long as we do that, we're doing our best, and then, hopefully, that's good enough as we move forward.

Michelle: Certainly, Dave. Talk to me about the seriousness of this situation. How many plants — (if you know) numbers, percentages — how many plants are closed or face closure at this time? How many producers fear that they'll close?

Dave: If we look at percentage-wise, we've got probably somewhere close to 9% of our packing capacity that is shuttered right now. That is a moving target, so that can certainly change from day to day. I want to make sure I caution folks on that, that that can move. What that has done is that there are a whole host of farmers that have got pigs and are market-ready and, as of today, don't have a spot to go with those pigs. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of, especially, the plant in Sioux Falls going down is they were probably one of the largest buyers of pigs from independent pork producers, and so that, in itself, probably affects more individual farms directly than, maybe, some of the other plants, if they would have gone down, and so it spread some of that pain out into other families, other communities. The other thing is that, whether the plants that you are delivering to are (or are) not shut down, it's still just creating an overall tightness in the whole industry that, obviously, results in hog bids that are much less than they would have been without all this.

Michelle: You talk about plants closing due to workers being sick. I've heard from vegetable growers in California that they think part of what's hurting them is that people are afraid that their food is becoming infected with COVID, that the vegetables actually would be infected with COVID. Are you seeing the same thing in meat?

Dave: No, not necessarily. I think, early on, there were some questions about that, but the science so far has been really, really consistent, and that really just isn't the case. As long as folks are following the same sort of things that they would have always done from a standpoint of food safety, there is absolutely zero increased risk here. I think, as we look at, quite honestly, some of the fruit and vegetable pieces that we've heard from folks, (the reality) is that people are trying to limit the amount of trips to the grocery store, period, so they may only go to the grocery store — some were trying to figure out how they can go maybe only once every other week. So, if you're dealing with fresh fruits and vegetables and people are only going to go to the grocery store every other week, some of that is going to go out of condition before you can actually eat it, and so, there are some other dynamics, I think, that happen with some of that, too, depending on the product.

Michelle: Dave, you talk about those individual producers suffering. Are they going to be able to bounce back or even stay afloat during this time? What are you hearing?

Dave: I think that depends on a number of things. There have been some folks, now, that have been successful working through some small business administration programs. Paycheck Protection Program is one of them that we've heard some success with, with farms. There are some other small business administration programs that farms are working through, through their lender. I do think it's really going to depend on, again, that relationship that they have with their lender — (and also,) obviously, the existing amount of equity that they've got in their farm, what sort of marketing plans that they had in place. I think that effect is going to be different for each individual farm, but I don't see anyone being unscathed. I think it's just a question of degree for each farm.

I do know, too, that Congress and the administration is actively working on some aid packages, at least at this recording. We've not heard what those exactly will be. Our asks, though, have been for direct infusions of cash back to farms — and truly back to farms, so that they've got that to try and hang on with and reorganize with.

The other is a $1-billion purchase that the government would make of pork products. Again, those are requests right now. USDA is certainly working through those requests, because there are other industries out there, too — whether it's the dairy side, beef cattle, ethanol, fruits and vegetables and so on — that also have asks of the federal government and of the money that's available for right now. We're hoping that we'll know relatively soon because, then, that will help guide us as to next decisions and next asks, either out Congress or the administration. It also starts to give a little bit of a clear roadmap to lenders and how they will end up working with their respective farm borrowers.

Michelle: Dave, on the government side of things, what are you hoping to see? We hear about bailouts or aid packages. What is best-case scenario for the swine industry?

Dave: I'd say a best-case scenario is if we can have the ask that we're making this week, and that is cash payments out to farms to help with liquidity. The second piece is a government purchase to try and take product off of the marketplace to have some relief there — plus, that product would go into food shelves, which serves a need on that standpoint, as we look at our general economy and displaying the number of people that have been laid off. I think an absolute tragedy is to throw away good food. Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to be able to avoid that completely, but as we look at trying to provide for our fellow person out there, if there are ways that we can work through to provide food for people, I think that's incredibly important as we work through this because, again, it's a tragedy to throw away food if we don't have to.

Michelle: It's an absolute tragedy, and of course, farmers, they're not strangers to hardship. The global industry was already grappling with African swine fever when COVID-19 struck. Are there lessons from African swine fever that are being applied to this new challenge today?

Dave: Yeah, they really are — from a standpoint of, especially, if we do get into situations of putting healthy animals down. There are some plans that we put into place and some demonstrations and drills that we'd already started on. Going back to a little bit earlier this winter, looking at some issues around depop and disposal — though there's some of that that I do think will be useful, it's not exactly the same, because we're dealing, in this case, with healthy animals versus animals that have a foreign animal disease. It actually gives us a little more flexibility — in fact, quite a bit more flexibility — with healthy animals, but we still have to do it responsibly. That means we're doing it timely and we're making sure that we're protecting the environment as we deal with those sorts of things.

Also, most importantly, too, is that the people that work with pigs on a daily basis, they're really wired to save pigs and to do the best they can to raise pigs. They're not wired to put them down, especially when they're healthy. I think there are people and mental health things that we're going to have to be cognizant of if we're forced into these situations, because again, the folks we've got working in barns and the owners of pigs, they truly care about the animal and want to do the right thing. If we get forced into some of these pieces that really are not real great choices, we need to make sure we're taking care of our people in that whole piece, too.

Michelle: It's important that you bring that up. You talk about the mental health side of things. You talk about potentially putting down healthy animals. What does that look like from the eyes of a producer or somebody who works in a barn?

Dave: I think it's a stress that people just probably didn't think about. I think it comes back to (being) as simple as (the fact that) people want to hire folks that work on their barns, again, that are empathetic, that are caring, that want to do the right thing, and it'll be tough on them. I think that the important thing is for employers and other family members to recognize that and to help people through it. Now, I'm not saying that there's a magic way to do it, other than the first acknowledgement, to just make sure that you recognize it and, then, take that into account if we end up getting forced into those decisions.

Michelle: Dave, how do you think this pandemic is going to change the swine industry in the long term? Will there be changes, for example, to farm size, prices, production, biosecurity?

Dave: Quite honestly, I think, (on) the biosecurity side, we're doing pretty well. I think there are continual improvements on that (that need) to happen, no matter what. Farm size — I think, unfortunately, what happens in things like this is that it does tend to be more of a drive towards consolidation, when you have things like this happen. I think that, no matter what industry you're in — the pork industry, other parts of agriculture, other businesses — that tends to be one of the consequences that does come out of it. I think, just depending on what sort of equity that farmers end up getting to and the work they do with their lender and, consequently, any sort of inflow of cash that may come from the federal government is really going to dictate, then, what the industry looks like coming out the back end. We will have a pork industry coming out the back end, and it will be competitive, and we'll provide safe, affordable food, just like we always have. It's just probably going to look different. We just don't know (to) what degree it will look different. Without a doubt, I think that lenders may look at some different requirements from a standpoint of equity, going forward, to account for some of these black swan sort of events that seem to pop up, but that's yet to be determined, too.

Michelle: Do you see any kind of a silver lining to what is happening right now for swine producers — any kind of opportunity, so to speak, in the midst of this crisis?

Dave: Well, that's a good question. Oftentimes, it's really difficult to see a silver lining in things like this. In hindsight, one silver lining is a lot of the planning and relationships that have been built based on African swine fever and foreign animal disease in general; they really do help in situations like this. When you're in a challenging time and you need to be working together with folks to try and address things, that is no time to be exchanging business cards for the first time. So, I think this does give us a lesson that relationships with folks that can help your business and to build those things over time are incredibly important, whether that's at the farm level or whether it's at the association level or business level. Just never take those connections for granted, because you never know when you're going to need them, and those things need to be developed over time.

Michelle: Speaking of taking things for granted, with our food supply threatened at this time, in your eyes, does it change the way the consumer sees agriculture? In your opinion, are they looking at agriculture now in a more positive way?

Dave: I think that, in some cases, they may be. I think the other thing that goes with that is that — I think the first natural thing for folks (to do) is to look inward, so they're going to look towards their own personal financial situation, whether they have a job or not, when they will get back to work. I think some of those more immediate things are going to probably be on more (of) the general public's mind first, but I do think it's instructive already, even with some of the panic buying and so on that's going on in grocery stores. Whoever thought that you would worry about where (your) toilet paper would come from? As we see meat shelves that are not as full as what we're used to, or going in to buy a can of soup and there's no soup left, there are some things that are kind of, I think, instructive.

We've got a fantastic food supply in this country, but the chain itself, every once in a while, can get a little threatened. We're seeing that right now, so we shouldn't take it for granted, and we should be grateful for the food production we have in this country. I think some people will be more appreciative of it, but it's also our job to produce food. That's why farmers are in this business, and they're going to continue to do so and do it in a way that's responsible. I think we'll see a shift, but we'll see what occurs there down the road.

Michelle: So many things changing. There's just a great cost on many levels with what's happening right now, and of course, nobody can predict what's next. We all hope it's sooner rather than later that this whole thing is over. Dave Preisler is our guest today, the CEO of Minnesota Pork. Thank you so much for joining us today.

Dave: My pleasure, and we all wish for better days, and we hope they come soon.

Michelle: For additional resources on COVID-19, visit alltech.com.

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The planning and relationships that have been developed from battling African swine fever and other foreign animal diseases are proving helpful against new challenges.

Dr. Sayed Aman - Life, loss and silver linings amid the world's biggest lockdown

On March 24, India’s 1.3 billion people went into lockdown in the most extensive COVID-19 containment effort in the world. The impact of the pandemic extends to livestock producers, crop farmers and the food supply chain in unprecedented ways. Dr. Sayed Aman, managing director of business at Alltech India, shares how life and agriculture look from inside the nationwide lockdown, and how heroes are emerging to help others amid the crisis.

Hosted by Michelle Michael

Co-produced by Brandon Whitworth

The following is an edited transcript of Michelle Michael’s interview with Dr. Sayed Aman. Click below to hear the full audio.

Michelle: Hello! I'm Michelle Michael. In this special series of AgFuture, we're talking with those working along the food supply chain about the impact of COVID-19. My guest today is a colleague of mine here at Alltech, Dr. Sayed Aman. He is the managing director of business in India. Dr. Aman, it's a pleasure to have you with us today.

Dr. Sayed: Thank you, Michelle. Thanks for having me.

Michelle: Dr. Aman, India is home to a very large number of people — 1.3 billion, I believe, is the number — and, currently, you're experiencing some of the harshest and most extensive lockdown measures over COVID-19. Those restrictions are aimed at slowing down the transmission of the coronavirus, of course, but what is life like for you, for people in India right now, just day-to-day living?

Dr. Sayed: Thanks, Michelle, for that question. Let me start by saying a big condolence to all those people who have lost their lives in this pandemic. Our feelings and thoughts and prayers go with all those who are affected and their families, and a big gratitude to all the healthcare workers, the police, all the heroes working in the food chain across the globe.

To answer your question, Michelle, the prime minister of India was very proactive in announcing the first lockdown on the 22nd of March. That was a Sunday. One-point-three-four billion people going under lockdown — that was probably the largest lockdown ever that happened in the history of this planet. Following on from that first lockdown, the second lockdown then started on the 25th of March for three weeks. It was not an easy scenario for people, really, because to get to this kind of new way of life, to get used to new terminologies, new vocabularies, it wasn't easy at all — whether it is the PPEs, the ventilators, all these are new terminologies, in a way. Initially, people faced a lot of difficulties to differentiate between the essential and the non-essential elements, but now, things are a bit more clear. Almost every day, we have new notifications come through from different government departments, and things are getting better as time flies.

Now, as we are on the fifteenth day of lockdown, we are beginning to see life again. It appears that, now, the government of India and the different states are looking at further extending this lockdown. We are getting to know about this scenario by this weekend, how long this lockdown will continue — but then, overall, Michelle, there is significant medical, economic and psychological stress and pain on everyone. Amidst all of this, we still see a silver lining. The air quality in many of our states is improving. For example, in the capital of India, Delhi, the air quality has improved by more than 70%, which is really a promising scenario. We now know, Michelle, in India (that) the sky's color is really blue, and the moon is pink.

Michelle: Certainly, that’s something that's different at this time. I want to go back and echo your comments about those who have lost their lives in this pandemic. Of course, our hearts go out to them. Farmers and producers, they're experiencing a loss of a different kind. Let's transition now to the world of agriculture, where nothing is like it was just a few weeks ago. Talk about the world through the eyes of poultry producers at this time. Rumors and speculation associated with the consumption of chicken linked to COVID-19 has really put a dent in sales. Tell us about that speculation. How did that all start, and how much are producers losing at this time?

Dr. Sayed: I just want to take you a little bit to a pre-pandemic scenario. The end of December was a Q3 financial — it was considered a financial year. Our economy, over the period of the last two years, is a little bit on a downtrend, from a GDP growth of 7.1% to 4.7% in the Q3 that ended December 31, so already, there was very tight pressure to the poultry industry. The producing power had reduced. Then we heard the initial news of the pandemic emerging from China and Wuhan that was linked to the seafood market and the animal market.

Towards the end of January and February, unfortunately, there were rumors and videos being circulated in social media here in India stating that chicken consumption leads to coronavirus. That was really devastating. The entire chicken industry, whether it was broilers or eggs — the prices really nosedived, the consumption nosedived, and the producers were in deeper financial distress.

Michelle: I'm sure you know some of those producers personally. What is life like for them right now, and what is the impact despite the financial distress?

Dr. Sayed: When you talk about the financial distress, the whole poultry industry in India was losing and almost is losing about $300 million per day, which is really very significant. The broiler prices crashed from $1.20 to as low as $0.20. There were situations where we came across and I witnessed that the broilers have literally no price at all and they were freely distributed to the consumers. At this financial distress and at this crisis moment, the poultry producers came together, and this togetherness is very, very critical. All of them came together. They made a collective appeal and a plea to the government of India, to the Animal Husbandry Ministry and the finance ministry, and we are hopeful that there will be some stimulus or relief package coming to us in the poultry industry.

Now, going back to the rumors, there are — FIR has been registered in different police stations and different states. Some states have done incredibly well in trying to investigate where, why and how these rumors — who was behind them, and I'm sure they will book the culprit eventually, but frankly, I think that there is a lot for the industry to look beyond into the future and say, “Are we really prepared for another scenario like this?” and “What will happen if another scenario happens in a similar way?” So, I think it is time for them to really come together and look into the future.

Michelle: It sounds like poultry producers — like you said, it's just great distress at this time. What has changed for, say, milk producers?

Dr. Sayed: Even (for) the milk producers, the milk consumption has really dropped, because all the hotels, the restaurants in India drink a lot of milk, a lot of tea that has milk in it, so many reports suggest that 25% of the milk consumption has reduced. On the other side, if the cooperatives want to convert the liquid milk into SMP or powdered milk, the prices are not encouraging. The exports are not encouraging, so it's quite a challenging scenario for the dairy farmers, the dairy cooperatives, the milk processors, everybody in the supply chain here. It's all of these things. We have cooperatives like Amul that see a silver lining, and they are projecting a growth of 18%, even in this particular scenario. We have situations wherein some of the feed millers, the dairy feed millers, are facing a big issue in terms of getting the raw materials into their feed mill, and that is a situation where Alltech is trying to help them because we deal with feed ingredients as well, and we are trying to support and give our best in whatever way we could.

But we should also remember, Michelle, the corn farmers, the soya farmers. The corn farmers are already suffering because there is a challenge on the harvest. We generally have two crops in India, and while the soya harvest is going to happen late this year, I'm sure there will be a big stress on them as well. The entire supply chain has a big challenge at the moment.

Michelle: Crop farmers are hurting. I've just heard that wheat farmers in India are being asked to delay their harvest that would normally start in the first part of April. It's been pushed back. What's the impact on crop producers at this time?

Dr. Sayed: You're right. There is significant migration of laborers that has happened, particularly if you look at the wheat production, where India stands (at) number two in the world. The northern states — Punjab, Haryana, U.P. — they depend on the laborers that particularly come from the eastern part of India. Due to the lockdown, most of these laborers, they went back home, so the mid-size farmers and the large-size farmers are deeply affected because, to get the mechanical harvester into the field and get their harvest, it's just not possible. Late harvest means there is going to be a significant loss to them.

It is not just the wheat farmers. As I just said, it's the maize farmers as well. They are able to only harvest 10% of the maize, and 90% of the corn is still out in the field and is very vulnerable to the unseasonal rain that may come, so that, again, is going to affect the animal industry, which really is very much dependent on the agriculture industry. We do have situations wherein the vegetables, the fruits, even flowers — in India, since all the weddings have been called off, there are no events happening. The export is really uncertain. The floral industry is hit very, very badly, to the extent that beautiful flowers like marigold and roses go for ruminant feeding today, so the challenges are quite significant, and I hope we find relief very soon here, Michelle.

Michelle: Yeah — that sentiment is echoed around the world. Dr. Aman, the world of agriculture has a proven track record of overcoming strife. Those who work to support farmers and producers are no exception. I've heard stories of our colleagues, Alltech colleagues, delivering supplies to producers in their own cars, on their own motorbikes. Tell us exactly what's happening there, and what does that say about courage and bravery and overcoming during this crisis?

Dr. Sayed: Yeah. You make a really good point, Michelle. I think, after the lockdown, the transport in India was totally shut down. We certainly addressed all the people that are included with the healthcare, the police, everybody as heroes, but I must tell you, all those who are linked with the food chain are also heroes today. Our colleagues really stepped up in these tough moments wherein the layer farmers, in particular, were running short of stock because they did not have too much stock (and on) March 31, March being our financial year-end, they were running low on stock. They called us for Alltech products and supplies because they were not able to produce feed for the layer birds. We have dealers like SLP, Sri Lakshmi Prasanna, and our own people went out there on bikes and cars with one bag and two bags and tried to deliver the products to the farmers so that the farmer can still produce quality feed in these challenging times.

Michelle: Would you say that, at this time, producers and farmers might rely on your colleagues more now than they did before?

Dr. Sayed: Absolutely, and they came back saying that no company could (provide) service in this way, how Alltech and the dealers have done. There was a lockdown across the whole day, (and it was) only (in the) morning from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. that it was allowed within a three-kilometer radius to move, for example, in Andhra state.

Our people really woke up at three in the morning to go ahead with the deliveries, even up to 50 kilometers on bikes, to make sure that the farmers have at least 10 to 15 days’ stock and they can continue to run the show in this lockdown period, so certainly, they will remember Alltech and the Alltech dealer service for a long time.

Michelle: It certainly shows courage from our colleagues, as well, through this entire situation. It's hard to talk about opportunity or to focus on opportunity, but is there an opportunity in this pandemic, in these times, where we have been forced to adapt again and again?

Dr. Sayed: We have seen the challenge of labor, with great respect to all the laborers that continue to serve the industry. However, in this scenario, where we have deep scarcity of laborers, I think there will be more drive towards automation in every industry, whether it's dairy, whether it's poultry or ag-tech as a whole. I think automation is going to take an upper hand and the reliance on people will probably reduce. Also, I feel, with regard to personal hygiene, how we greet people, that's probably going to change. We talk about social distancing. My comment would be, probably, we are socially connected more online than ever before, so it is probably (more) physical distancing than social distancing.

Michelle: Yeah. This crisis is going to have an impact on us in so many different ways, but in the short term, crisis also sometimes drives innovation. In some cases, farmers are doing things that are outside the normal way that they operate. Can you think of specific examples of farmers driving innovation?

Dr. Sayed: Yeah. We have an example in North India, Michelle, where one poultry producer and poultry farmer, his son is basically a medical doctor. He attended ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference last year, and he and his team and his father, Mr. Jagdish too, they've come up and developed a ventilator in just three days. One would (guess) it is very expensive, with the increasing need of ventilators — not just in India, but across the globe — which cost a few thousand dollars, but they claimed to have developed this in just $140 or so. (It) is known as volume control ventilator, with a respiration rate of 12 to 30 per minute, which is incredible, really. They've put up their proposal to the government of India, and we are waiting for the approval. Really, they don't want to make money out of this, but what they are looking for is to work with the people, to save lives — as many as they can — and contribute to the society.

I also have another example to share with you wherein a couple of my school colleagues in my state, when the healthcare workers were running out of the face shields, the two (of them) came together with a club locally and developed a shield in just two days’ time and delivered those hundred face shields at no cost. Now, they are on the verge of making another hundred face shields, so, really, at this time, everybody is coming together to help others and to help the society and the community.

Michelle: Yeah. These farmers, these producers doing these things, they're suffering right now. So, in the midst of all the suffering, they're helping others. What does that say about the spirit of the farmer — the drive, the sacrifice they make to feed us all?

Dr. Sayed: I think it's a really unbelievable effort from the farmer, whether their aim is to really touch the human life or their aim is to do betterment for the society. Money is not everything, they believe, and there's life beyond money. The farmer is an unsung hero. They have been working very hard in the middle of this crisis — going out and feeding the birds, going out to the farm and collecting eggs, going out there milking the cows. Why? Just to get the food onto the table of the consumers when there is a total lockdown in the country.

I think, just like the healthcare workers, farmers need a very, very deep appreciation from everybody across the globe.

Michelle: Do you think, then, on the consumer level, does this change the way the world perceives agriculture? Oftentimes, producers are blamed for things like pollution, but is agriculture more appreciated now?

Dr. Sayed: Well, I hope that is the case, Michelle, and I wish that is the case as we move down the line during this pandemic and post-pandemic. Certainly, we consider doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, those involved in PPE manufacturing, those involved in sanitizers and disinfectant manufacturing, we consider them as heroes, but my only question would be: why not consider all the farmers involved in the food chain, getting the food onto the table of the consumers — why don't we consider them as heroes as well? I hope the government recognizes their efforts, and I hope better sense prevails.

Michelle: I certainly recognize them as heroes during this time and all throughout the year. The second wave of a pandemic, God forbid that'll happen, but will the ag sector be better prepared to react if it does, or is it even possible to prepare for something like this?

Dr. Sayed: I guess so. We are now better prepared if, at all — as you said, God forbid — the second pandemic comes through, but just to let you know the development in India, for example. This week, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare have announced and exempted the group of farmers — the FPOs, the Farmers Producers Organizations — they have allowed the farmers to go directly to the bulk buyers, processors and big retailers and avoiding those mandis, the APMCs. This is a big change, I believe, happening in India. This links the producers to the right people where, probably, they will get a better remunerative price, in a way. In the wake of this, reducing the number of people coming together, where mandis — it's so difficult, where the farmers would normally go to sell their produce, but now, the farmers can directly go and sell their produce to the big processors and the retailers as well.

The other change that we see that has happened (is that) the government of India has started a special eNAM. That is the National Agriculture Market portal, which has helped, and these modules have been released on the 2nd of April for e-trading of the stored agriculture produce of the farmers into the government-designated warehouses, and (this is) enabling the FPOs to upload their produce for their collection centers, for bidding through eNAM, without the necessity to bring these produce to the mandis. I think this really helps the agriculture farmer and the producer to get directly linked, in a way, to the consumers.

I hope a similar sense prevails in the animal industry, where, for example, in the case of chicken, 93% of the chicken in India is sold alive. I hope, post-pandemic and now, that all the stakeholders come together and build that infrastructure so that only processed chicken goes out to the consumers, and they own the brand of that chicken until it is delivered to the consumer so that if the consumer has any query on the quality of the chicken or any rumor they hear on the quality of the chicken, they can always call the producer and get that clarified. It is a big dream, where it might take eight to ten months to build that infrastructure for the poultry industry to convert the whole broilers that are produced in India into the processed chicken and totally stop selling the live chicken. If that happens, I think it is going to be a rebirth for the poultry industry.

Michelle: Yeah, change not just for poultry, but the entire world of ag.

Nobody knows when this is going to end, and certainly, we're all just trying to find our way. Dr. Sayed Aman, from Alltech India, stay safe, stay well, and thank you so much for joining us today.

Dr. Sayed: Thank you for having me, Michelle, and thanks to you and the president of Alltech, Dr. Mark Lyons.

Michelle: For additional resources on COVID-19, visit Alltech.com.

Click here for additional COVID-19 resources.

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Dr. Sayed Aman says farmers have been heroes during the shutdown in India, making sure to get food on the table of consumers.

Ken Zuckerberg - Remaking the market: COVID-19 and consumer trends

Producers are faced with new challenges as consumers adapt to eating more meals at home in light of the COVID-19 crisis. Will we return to “normal” when the outbreak subsides, or will new habits create a permanent shift in how we eat? Ken Zuckerberg, lead analyst and senior economist in CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division, explains how the pandemic has already affected the food sector and what economic and market trends may emerge.

Hosted by Michelle Michael

Co-produced by Brandon Whitworth

The following is an edited transcript of Michelle Michael’s interview with Ken Zuckerberg. Click below to hear the full audio.

Michelle: Hello! I'm Michelle Michael. In this special series of AgFuture, we're talking with those working along the food supply chain about the impact of COVID-19. My guest today is Ken Zuckerberg. Ken is the lead analyst and senior economist in CoBank's Knowledge Exchange division, where he focuses on grains, oilseeds, farm supply and biofuel. That translates to me that, well, you're a numbers guy — is that right, Ken?

Ken: Correct, although not simply just a numbers guy. The interesting part of the job is going through the numbers and then triangulating with market information to understand, really, where we are, where we're going and what the marketplace may be missing.

Michelle: So, in your role, you look at data, you look at patterns, you look at trends and economic activity, and you use those predictions to improve business decisions in agriculture. Also, just some background on CoBank: CoBank is one of the largest private providers of credit to the U.S. rural economy. The company is located in Colorado and delivers loans, leases and other financial services to agribusinesses in all 50 states. Is that right, Ken?

Ken: Generally, that's spot on. We operate within the Farm Credit System, which, as you know, is the largest lender to agriculture in rural America and the United States.

Michelle: Ken, COVID-19's global spread may continue to impact supply chains and the availability of certain crops, which is also potentially affecting commodity prices and farmers’ planning decisions. How do you look at the risk of COVID-19 from a very high level?

Ken: Thank you for asking that, to begin with. Strictly speaking, there are five bullet categories of risk facing every economic sector in every region of the world. These categories can be thought of as economic risk, environmental risk, geopolitical risk, societal risk and technological risk. Coronavirus falls strictly under the societal risk bucket, given that it's an infectious disease. However, the dynamics of treating it and what we've seen in terms of the resulting job losses and the massive contraction in economic activity — that actually puts coronavirus into two buckets: both the economic and the societal. It lies at the intersection of those two, and there are sort of broad ramifications for not delaying this quickly. The longer it goes on, the more uncertainty there is. The more uncertainty, the greater the economic damage. Then, because of those, if that scenario unfolds, the longer and harder it is to sort of get back to what people hope to be, back to normal.

Michelle: Ken, how does COVID-19 impact the food and agriculture sector?

Ken: Let me start with the labor and supply chains. We've gotten a lot of questions about both recently, and I think it's worth addressing, to begin with. Specialty crops are labor-intensive, and places like California (are) often dependent on noncitizens working in the U.S. either during the season or on a temporary basis — hence, closing borders and limiting temporary work passes to contain the virus spread obviously would be negative. Partially offsetting this, people are losing their jobs in other sectors, such as the restaurant and hospitality industries, and those (people) could theoretically come to work in agriculture, although that remains to be seen.

Another issue, of course, is employees that potentially get sick that work in food processing plants, grocery stores and restaurant takeout or delivery. These are some of the issues, from a labor standpoint, that we're monitoring closely. On supply chains, it's a bit of a mixed bag for now, but we're watching closely to see if things change in the future. In a recent report about the spring 2020 planting season, I argue that ag retailers in the U.S. have adequate supplies of crop inputs to deliver to customers this season. So, from a farm input supply chain perspective, we're not so concerned. We don't think it's a near-term risk. It is clear, though, that, given the amount of imported fertilizers, chemicals and feed ingredients made in China and brought to the U.S., the longer this goes on, the bigger that risk could be down the line, but we view that as a forward risk rather than a current one.

A more concerning matter, with respect to supply chains in the U.S., is truck drivers and truckers and transporters dealing with the splintered delivery networks and an upsurge in retail demand as consumers start buying more food at grocery stores and away from restaurants. The surge in that area is sort of causing bottlenecks in other delivery channels. Again, we are monitoring this for agriculture, production ag. We don't see too fat of a risk in the near term, but the situation is very dynamic.

Michelle: Of course, facing uncertainty in a volatile industry is nothing novel at all for the American agriculture industry. Farmers are very hearty. They're full of perseverance and innovative thinking. Will farmers and producers rise to the occasion, or will this time be different? What are the critical factors at play today versus what you expected as you headed into 2020?

Ken: I agree with you about your assertion of the American farmer. He and she do not go down easily. I have confidence that, generally speaking, production agriculture will rise to the occasion. However, there are a few critical factors and variables that the industry has to deal with that, quite candidly, they probably haven't dealt with ever before, even during the Great Depression. The continued economic uncertainty and volatility in markets, shipping network supply chains overseas and the shocks to demand — these are going to be negative issues for agriculture exports in the very near term.

Another pressure is, given the high levels of global financial market (pressure) on people, the more this goes on, the more that foreign investors tend to drive into U.S. dollar-denominated assets, meaning the dollar. The stronger the dollar, the more expensive our products are for overseas buyers, and, obviously, that would be a negative. The greater strength in the dollar, the more pressure on how competitive ag exports are relative to other major production regions.

Michelle: One of the challenges crop producers were facing before this pandemic was global trade wars that were occurring, particularly with China. What has changed since COVID-19?

Ken: In one sense, the entire world has changed with COVID-19. Obviously, the critical questions that we're all asking ourselves are “Can things return to normal — or, alternatively, a new normal?” and “What will domestic and export demand look like for ag products when we get there?” Right now, it's too early to make a broad call on any of that. That being said, U.S. agriculture has a reputation for very high quality. Recently, we've seen an uptick in demand for certain crops, such as wheat. Here in the U.S., we have adequate stocks, high-quality and attractive prices. China has been a buyer there, and they've also been buying soybeans and pork. Last week, in fact, was a record for U.S. pork exports to China.

The world has changed. There have been demand shocks, market shocks, economic shocks, since both COVID-19 and the Saudi Arabia-Russia oil price war has broken out. However, we do see agriculture as a go-to sector. As people commonly say, you'll always have to eat. So, it does tend to be resilient, even when the other parts of the economy are in trouble.

Michelle: Farmers are, of course, used to sacrifice. But when it comes to financial stability, what exactly are farmers facing today in the midst of COVID-19?

Ken: I think it's important to step back a minute and discuss what was the situation prior to the current crisis. Before that, crop farming had already entered the seventh or eighth year of a difficult pricing cycle. When we combined both crop and livestock farming together, the industry revenues actually had been flat with the 2011 level. However, production expenses continue to rise. The industry, in total, has been operating under profit pressure.

Another negative is that work in capital has been declining while debt has been increasing to record levels. Debt-to-net-cash income is also very high for the industry on a consolidated basis. While reported numbers show that net farming income rose in 2019, it did so only because of substantial government payments. Backing that out, income was actually down.

The bottom line is that farming, in general, has been under some pressure, and there is a massive divide between profitable and unprofitable farmers. The weaker ones, unfortunately, will have limited flexibility to play through the current crisis, and they ultimately may be forced to sell, exit or consolidate operations. We saw an uptick in financial restructurings for U.S. farms in 2019. Unfortunately, we think this could continue in 2020.

Michelle: Are farmers even able to prepare for something like that? This is unprecedented, of course.

Ken: COVID-19 is unique in that, regardless of income level, industry expertise or desire, very few businesspeople in general were adequately prepared for this. I think the characteristics that allow a U.S. farmer to manage through here come down to A) are you a low-cost operator? Do you have command of the variable inputs that are required to produce your crop? And/or B) are you overextended? So, the more financially conservative a farmer is, the greater he or she has the ability to operate beyond the current season.

Michelle: Let's talk about trends for a moment, since that's definitely your expertise. What short-term trends are we going to see in agriculture as related to COVID-19?

Ken: At the risk of observing the obvious, how consumers are purchasing food and what they are buying has clearly changed since the onslaught of COVID-19. We obviously first saw bulk purchases of Clorox products, hand sanitizers, toilet paper and canned goods. Now, a shift is happening that's more substantial — away from sit-down restaurants, many of which are closed in areas that have shelter-in-place restrictions, and the shift has gone towards buying food from supermarkets and other food retailers, including mail-order, home delivery and food delivery. Those are some of the short-term trends and observations we've seen that are likely to continue as long as this crisis is underway.

Michelle: Can we, in any way, predict the longer-term effects from this pandemic?

Ken: It's very difficult. What I think is fascinating is that, to the extent one observed a few years ago that some of the higher-growth categories in food were purchases of food either through fast-casual or specialty restaurants, that was in some ways cannibalizing sales at the supermarket. Now, the supermarket is the go-to place, with lines out the door and, oftentimes, limits of people going in. I think purchases of food for home consumption will probably continue at a greater level than had been (seen) during previous shocks, and part of the issue there is if people are genuinely concerned about being around other people that may get them sick, I think there's a likelihood that at least this dynamic will continue for a while.

Predicting long-term trends is inherently complicated. What I know I fundamentally feel is that this, too, will eventually pass. I think the business in the industrial case of food service out of the home will continue. But getting back to the same level of consumption out of the house? It's hard to determine when that's going to take place.

Michelle: Of course, many people are under stay-at-home orders. Social distancing has pretty much everybody stuck inside their own home at a time when gasoline prices are way down. What is the impact of the recent drop in gasoline prices on agricultural production?

Ken: There are two sides to that coin. The first one is that you're correct in that fuel and energy are important inputs — and costly ones — in agricultural production. The drop in gas prices, all else being equal, is very positive operationally. However, the demand shock and the price decline in gasoline prices has carried over to the ethanol industry to the point where the dynamics of operating an ethanol plant with margins under pressure because of the current price and demand dynamics is extraordinary. Unfortunately, the recent drop in gasoline prices is a mixed bag, and the focus now is on what the ethanol industry can and will be able to do to reposition itself to survive this downturn.

Michelle: It's hard to think about opportunity in the middle of a crisis, but if that's at all possible, what opportunities might you see coming from this?

Ken: I think there are opportunities. Crisis and chaos always give innovative people an opportunity to capture and deliver value. This time will be no different. Here are a few ideas about potential opportunities. Unexpectedly, wheat is seeing a surge in demand with the hoarding, if you will, of shelf-stable food at the supermarket. While this may only be temporary, it's interesting. Wheat is seeing a little bit of opportunity.

Labor shortages could help accelerate the adoption of farm robots to handle spraying and picking fruit crops. We have a number of companies that are already operating in that space, and that could be an interesting place to be going forward. Increased demand for food and grocery deliveries may also be the saving grace for certain meal kit and online food platform delivery companies. Finally, a renaissance in home-prepared meals and gourmet cooking might lead to increased buying of fancy pots, pans and kitchen accessories. In some ways, we see dollars shifting to the Krogers of the world, as well as the Amazons of the world, as well as some of the Blue Aprons and others. But who knows? Maybe the fancy home-houseware companies could also see a pickup here during or post-crisis.

Michelle: Ken, how do you envision market segments? What I mean is restaurants are shutting down, but grocery stores are staying open. How do you envision market segments dictating supply chain moving forward?

Ken: Much as we had discussed before, it's very hard to know whether this will be a temporary bull market in grocery stores relative to restaurants — how long that will last, will it be permanent, or there will be a shift. It's very hard to estimate that. That being said, I think there will undoubtedly be either stresses or disruptions related to packaging, shipping and delivery but also the product mix. For example, people that pay $50 for a New York strip steak in a restaurant may or may not be willing to pay a premium at the supermarket. I'm actually not sure; I think the likelihood is that they won't. There are other product categories that also face similar dynamics. With more people eating at home, there's a greater need for a variety of consumer staple foods. To the extent that that will be in demand, that will ultimately shift priorities both in production and distribution.

Michelle: American farmers provide a commodity that consumers will always need. It's important to remember that the bottleneck in supply and demand is really only a temporary obstacle as health officials everywhere focus on containing the coronavirus outbreak. At the end of the day, Ken, what is your biggest concern at this time?

Ken: My biggest concern is that we see globally interconnected markets that are, at the end of the day, very sensitive to competence. The good news about food and ag production is that this industry can be, oftentimes, countercyclical. When the broad economy is under pressure, food and agriculture can be a steady staple. As we said before, we have to eat. The risk is that the longer we go through a period where there's uncertainty, the greater the structural changes are in demand, and how to rectify that. The bigger risk for me is time. The longer this COVID-19 crisis goes out, the longer the economic uncertainty.

Michelle: Ken Zuckerberg, senior economist from CoBank, thank you so much for joining us today.

Ken: Wonderful to be with you.

Michelle: For additional resources on COVID-19, visit Alltech.com.

Click here for additional COVID-19 resources.

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When the broad economy is under pressure, food and agriculture can be a steady staple.

Lesley Kelly - Healthy minds: Mental wellness in agriculture

It’s no secret that our farmers, ranchers and producers have particularly demanding jobs, which can be physically and mentally exhausting. Lesley Kelly is the farmer behind the popular blog, “High Heels and Canola Fields,” and a passionate advocate for supporting mental health within the agriculture industry. She joins us to discuss the emotional toll of farming, particularly during this time of unprecedented uncertainty, and shares the small steps that anyone can take toward improving their mental well-being.

The following is an edited transcript of Michelle Michael’s interview with Lesley Kelly. Click below to hear the full audio.

Michelle: Hello! I'm Michelle Michael. In this special series of AgFuture, we're talking with those working along the food supply chain about the impact of COVID-19. My guest today is Lesley Kelly. Lesley, you're the head and the heart behind the blog called High Heels and Canola Fields. You're a wife, you're a mother and a farmer from Saskatchewan, and we want to talk to you today about one of your many passions: mental health. Lesley, you believe the success of any farm operation hinges on the well-being of the farmer, and you personally make mental health a priority, and you don’t shy away from talking about mental health. Tell us about yourself and your family, and how did you begin down this path?

Lesley: Yeah. Well, thank you, first and foremost, for having me. Mental health is a topic that is near and dear to my heart, and what I've been trying to do over the last few years is reduce that stigma and break that silence that so many of us in agriculture are living in. Ten years ago, if you would've said I would become a mental health advocate, it wasn't even on my radar, but through struggles within my family, seeing my friends go through struggles, our fellow farmers, it really became a priority — especially a couple of years ago, after my husband and I did a live video sharing our mental health journey. I shared that I had postpartum depression after our second child was born, and my husband, a farmer, is living with anxiety mainly attributed to farm stress. So, we did this live video sharing what we had done together as a team and individually to really help overcome those challenges, and the reception we got afterwards was nothing that we've had or could have ever anticipated. That, really then, was the catalyst for myself and three other individuals in Saskatchewan for starting a not-for-profit called Do More Agriculture that is championing the mental well-being of our producers.

Michelle: Before you started down this path of making mental health a priority, were you aware that there was so much of a need for this?

Lesley: No. It wasn't until we did the video, because we kept thinking — my husband, Matt, and I kept thinking, "Are we alone in this?" After hearing from a few friends about their struggles, we thought, “There must be more of us out there.” We aired the video, and afterwards — after we pressed "stop" — the text messages, the phone calls, the direct messages, the social media, it blew up. It wasn't anything that we ever thought (would happen), and 99% of it was positive. People were looking for hope, and people were looking for that extra bit of encouragement to raise their hand and say, "You know what? I am going through something" or "I have gone through something and I didn’t know where to go or who to talk to or what to say." That really made us look at mental health as not just us but, really, an industry that needed more help and support and resources.

Michelle: Absolutely. You have quite a following on your blog and on your social media sites, and you seem so passionate about mental health. You mentioned previously, you talked about the organization that you co-founded, Do More Agriculture Foundation. Can you talk about the specific goals of that foundation?

Lesley: We are trying to do three things. The first one is to increase awareness about mental health. Our industry — agriculture — we haven't really talked about mental health in the past, so there is a lot of unknown. We're trying to bring awareness to agriculture as to what mental health is and what it takes for our farmers to be mentally well. The second is to create community. Our landscape in agriculture is changing. More people are moving to the cities. Our small towns are decreasing in size. It really takes a community to help our farmers around us, so we're trying to change that and build community, whether it's online or at events, and create a hub of resources, that community of health, so farmers know where to go if they are having a hard time. The third is research. We're trying to help those in research to understand what farmers need when it comes to support and knowing more about mental health in agriculture.

Michelle: I wonder if mental health is more of an issue in agriculture — or is it around the world, globally, in all professions, and it's just now being talked about in agriculture?

Lesley: Yeah. When it comes to mental health in agriculture, there are so many unknowns. It has been a recent discussion over the past couple of years that has come more to light. I have been part of campaigns where farming and agriculture was included, and it is a societal concern, but that societal concern — moving that needle, having a positive discussion — has then transcended into agriculture to help start those conversations. I do believe it is a worldwide concern, and I hope that, in agriculture, we can continue the positive momentum that we've had the last couple of years of starting a conversation and keeping it going.

Michelle: It's no secret that farmers and ranchers have very demanding jobs. You know that firsthand. At times like these, amidst COVID-19 — it's unprecedented, but at times like these, there's economic uncertainty. There's vulnerability, still, to weather. There's isolation, which is obviously worse on someone who already suffers from something like anxiety or depression. What words of encouragement or advice do you have for fellow producers out there during this crisis?

Lesley: Farming is an amazing lifestyle. It's an amazing industry to be in. Our roots are established in strength and perseverance, but sometimes, that could be a weakness, where you put your head down and work through it, and sometimes, that might not be the best. So, what we're trying to encourage in those around us — there are three main things, and that's to talk, ask and listen. By doing these three small things, you could really make a big impact on yourself and those around you. When we say “talk,” we want people to talk more about mental health. Talk to your family, your friends, your fellow farmers. Check in on them and talk about mental health. We don’t want these conversations to be hushed, because we know that if it just takes one person to raise their hand and say, "Hey, I need help," that could be a catalyst for encouraging others to get help that they need, too.

The second is to ask, and that really means to check in on people around you. Ask how they are doing. Also, check in and ask yourself how you are feeling. The third is to listen. I know that by listening, you don’t have to be an expert when it comes to mental health, but listening to someone — taking all of their struggles and pouring them out, taking the weight of the world off of their shoulders — can be a life-saving difference. It could make a life-saving impact. Also, listen to yourself and ask how you can help yourself through a really, really hard time.

Michelle: Do you think farmers feel additional pressure at this time to keep the food supply chain moving, or is this business as usual for farmers?

Lesley: Well, I'm not too sure about the pressure to keep it going as a farmer. I know, with us, seeding is right around the corner, and our goal is to keep putting that crop in every year. We're facing some worry and anxiety around will we have enough crop input supply, or what will that do to transportation if our plant or tractor break down? Will there be parts available? I can see or I've heard from other parts of the supply chain how they have more pressure. Transportation, frontline staff at grocery stores — that's where, probably, right now, is the most pressure.

Michelle: I love what's happening in the background here, because it shows everyone is trying to maintain a sense of normalcy when nothing in the world feels normal right now. Is that your children at the background?

Lesley: Yes. They are hungry, I believe.

Michelle: Maybe you can explain to us how you're managing, because we talked about how, when you have something like anxiety or depression, you already feel isolated, and the social distancing might make it worse. How can somebody combat those feelings of isolation during this time? What advice do you have for them on how to maintain relationships and positivity when they feel so isolated and, quite frankly, are distanced from their loved ones in some ways?

Lesley: Yeah. Right now, I can see for myself, being so extroverted, that I'm having a hard time being away from my family and friends. I think the one thing, once COVID is past us, on the top of my list is hugging my mom and my dad, who I haven't been able to see.

What I would encourage others who are having a hard time and need that connection with people is to keep continuing to reach out. What anxiety and depression do to us is they make us go into a box. They make us become distant, but continue to put that step forward. Every day, for me, it's making a goal that I'm going to check in on this person. I'm going to send a text, and not just a text saying, "Hey, how are you doing?" but even further, sharing what that person means to you because you haven't been able to see them in such a long time. Then, on the flipside is if you know in the past of someone who has had mental health challenges, who is going through a mental illness, for you to reach out to them, to have that text, send that text, to do that virtual call, because those can make a world of difference.

What my husband and I are doing right now inside of our home is we're journaling. We're doing art classes. We're trying to do as many family things to bring that connectedness home, and then the one thing that really helps my husband and I is to get outside, get that fresh air, feel that sun, do things, check off things on the to-do list that really make that anxiety lessen as we're coming into the seeding and planting season.

Michelle: Figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that, at least here in America, those who work in agriculture have some of the highest suicide rates of any professional group. Is there a similar concern or a problem where you are?

Lesley: Yeah. We actually, in Canada, we don’t have any stats on farmer suicides, but yeah, we've looked to our friends in the States who have that research, and it is very — that's a hard number to hear, so my goal, by me talking about mental health, being an advocate, co-founding Do More, is to ultimately change those numbers.

Michelle: Farmers, of course, are often in rural areas with very limited access, in some cases, to mental healthcare. How does this compound an already escalating problem?

Lesley: Yeah. There are so many things that, as farmers, we face that are outside of our control, whether (it’s the) economy, like what you've mentioned, but then, it's (also) our access to support. During harvest or calving, as a farmer, it's very, very hard just to pick up and leave and drive four to five hours into the city to get that support — and then, sometimes, that support might not understand farming. They might not understand the world of agriculture and that it's not a nine-to-five job, that there are so many layers and so many things that are happening on the farm. So, at Do More Ag, what we're trying to do is bring that support — to know what support is out there and then bring that support to agriculture, so those that are servicing us understand our world and we can help our farmers.

Michelle: What are some of those resources that are out there for farmers? Where can they find help dealing with this additional stress and anxiety that everyone is feeling right now?

Lesley: Well, for us up in Canada, first and foremost, they can go to our website at domore.ag, where we have a list of resources that are set out provincially, but those who are in the States, they can look to their extensions. There are so many resources right now that are online, especially during COVID, that you can access on your computer or you can text support or you can call someone, whether that could be a mental health service hotline or your local hospital.

Michelle: Are there any certain signs, certain telltale symptoms, that farmers should be aware of and acknowledge for themselves so that they know they're headed down a dangerous path?

Lesley: Yeah. When it comes to mental health, it might look different for everyone, but my biggest advice when I'm chatting with others about those signs and those symptoms is that we all know our normals and those normals of people around us. If their acting or if their behaviors or feelings or thoughts are outside of that typical normal, that's where that could be a red flag to start to have those discussions about mental health. For my husband, his farm stress — what we saw him go through is he stopped eating. He stopped sleeping. One of the biggest physical signs was he started to have panic attacks where he couldn't breathe, excessive sweating, just racing thoughts of worry and anxiety, so that made us really realize that it's something — it wasn't just a little bit of worry and then work through it.

For me, having postpartum, I became quite emotional. It was hard for me to call a friend. I really became socially distant, isolated. The other part with Matt, what I saw — and this could be (common) with those on the farm — is he had a really hard time making just day-to-day decisions. Just small decisions, they really stopped him in his track. That was when we saw each other outside of our normals and said, "Hey, I think that something is going on that's bigger than what we first anticipated."

Michelle: Yeah. That goes right along with my next question. When farmers ignore mental health, just like chronic pain, poor mental health can make it difficult to manage everyday stressors in farmers' lives. How were you personally impacted, or what is the worry beyond just what you had to do on the farm?

Lesley: Yeah. Mental health is not something that just affects the individual person. I had personal experience that, when someone is suffering from a mental health challenge or distress or an illness, it really impacts the whole family. It can impact the farming operation. You really need that support system, that rally of people, your cheerleaders around you, to help you get through it, because sometimes, for Matt, he didn’t think anything was wrong. It was something that was his normal for so long, so it really took us to champion and help him through that really hard time, but it can impact day-to-day operations. It can impact your sales. It can impact getting the crop in the ground. It can impact during calving season. It's not just an impact of your mental health. Mental health can impact everything in your life if it's not addressed or if you don’t have the proper mental health techniques to get you through those hard times.

Michelle: Right now, especially, there seems to be a renewed sense of appreciation for farmers. People are showing appreciation more than ever before. Store shelves are stocked with milk and eggs and everything, for that matter. I've talked to farmers and producers firsthand who are hearing for the first time ever, "Thank you." Does that help with mental health from an agricultural perspective?

Lesley: I don’t know, as farmers, if we do look for that recognition. I know, for my husband and I, it's the lifestyle and showing our kids a new experience or life lessons that come from the farm, but when it comes to consumers that are in a different world, if they're in the cities and something that's so far removed from agriculture or farming, when they see how we do as farmers — the 2% of us (who) impact so many things, whether it's the economy, getting food on the table — that "thank you" could really mean a world of difference to someone who is going through a really hard time.

Michelle: From the consumer end of things, is there anything that we can do to bolster the feelings of love and appreciation toward our farmers and our food producers around the world, especially when they're working so hard to feed us during this pandemic?

Lesley: Oh, that's a big question. For me, it would be to continue supporting your farmers. Continue buying that food. You know what? What makes me smile at the end of the day is just connecting with people now, through social distancing or physical distancing. It's getting to understand other people's world, and if I have the opportunity to connect with someone who lives in the city and hear those words of support and love and that kindness that the world needs right now, that, to me, really brings a smile to my face.

Michelle: What do you think might change in regards to mental health after this crisis is over? How will it change us?

Lesley: I'm being quite optimistic. I'm looking at it as, now, because of our world going through something that is so unforeseen, mental health is a priority. People will be looking at mental health as one of the top things that they need to make a priority — (and) make themselves a priority. I'm also looking forward to seeing the changes of the mental health support. We all love to go into or would like to have that face-to-face contact with someone, but as farmers, we might not have that luxury, so I'm seeing and hope to see even more support, whether it's texting, calling or those virtual conferences of bringing support to people who might not be able to get that face-to-face connection.

Michelle: Lesley Kelly is our guest today. Her goal is quite simple: to make the agriculture industry stronger and, quite simply, to break down the culture of toughness encouraged among farmers so that they, too, can discuss mental health. Lesley, thank you so much for joining us today.

Lesley: Thank you for having me.

Michelle: For additional resources on COVID-19, visit Alltech.com.

Click here for additional COVID-19 resources.

Hosted by Michelle Michael

As lead video producer at Alltech, Michelle travels the globe for the company’s award-winning Planet of PlentyTM documentary series. Michelle spent a decade as a video producer/reporter in Germany, reporting from military hotspots at the height of the war on terrorism. The National Press Photographer's Association (NPPA) has twice recognized Michelle as their solo video journalist of the year.

Co-produced by Brandon Whitworth

As the senior media production specialist at Alltech, Brandon co-produces the company’s award-winning Planet of Plenty TM documentary series. Brandon is a two-time Emmy Award winning television news photojournalist and three-time nominee. He has received several regional awards from the National Press Photographers Association for excellence in visual storytelling.

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Poor mental health can make it difficult to manage every day stressors in farmers' lives, negatively affecting both personal and farm life.

Andrew Meadows - Coronavirus, consumers and citrus

As consumers rush to stock up on staples, orange juice has made its way to the top of the shopping list. How will the coronavirus crisis impact an industry that has been pummeled by hurricanes and citrus greening? Andrew Meadows, director of Citrus Mutual in Lakeland, Florida, shares his insights on how shifting consumer demands will impact the market now and in the future.

Hosted by Michelle Michael

Co-produced by Brandon Whitworth

As the senior media production specialist at Alltech, Brandon co-produces the company’s award-winning Planet of Plenty ™ documentary series. Brandon is a two-time Emmy Award winning television news photojournalist and three-time nominee. He has received several regional awards from the National Press Photographers Association for excellence in visual storytelling.

The following is an edited transcript of Michelle Michael's interview with Andrew Meadows. Click below to hear the full audio.

Michelle: Hello! I'm Michelle Michael. In this special series of AgFuture, we're talking with those working along the food supply chain about the impact of COVID-19. My guest today is Andrew Meadows, director of Citrus Mutual, based out of Lakeland, Florida. Citrus Mutual is a nonprofit trade association that acts as an advocate for citrus growers, particularly when it comes to economic matters. Andrew, thank you so much for joining us today.

Andrew: Thank you very much for having me.

Michelle: Hope you and your family are safe right now in the midst of this pandemic. It's a scary time. We're all learning to navigate this new norm together, and it's the same throughout agriculture. I'm hearing that orange juice is suddenly a hot commodity. In fact, I've heard there's been a significant jump in sales as the demand for vitamin C goes up. Do you have numbers that confirm that?

Andrew: Yes, we measure orange juice sales. Our industry here in Florida is (that) 95% of our product, our oranges, go into juice. The remaining 5% is the fresh table market. But we, as an industry, measure our sales in four-week increments. We work through Nielsen Incorporated, which is a well-known consumer data company. Actually, the last four-week period was March 14, and it showed an increase at retail of 10%. Although this situation is a crisis, and I hope everybody out there is staying safe and doing what the CDC recommends, it is heartening to us, as an industry and our growers, that people still see orange juice as a significant source of vitamin C, which, of course, can help boost and support a healthy immune system. We'll get numbers in mid-April for the next four-week period, and we expect those to be up as well. Anecdotally, we're hearing from our processors that sales are continuing to be up. Although the country is grappling with this crisis, the silver lining, I guess, for our growers is that people are looking to orange juice for vitamin C.

Michelle: Of course, we have to say that there's no evidence that vitamin C is effective against coronavirus, but people certainly are looking to increase their vitamin intake. That's a very real thing. Can you describe what you're seeing in the public there? Do you see orange juice flying off of store shelves, just like you see toilet paper disappearing?

Andrew: Well, I don't think we've gotten as much publicity as the toilet paper issue, or bottled water or bread, those sorts of staple items. But anecdotally, I always keep an eye on the frozen section when I go to the grocery store, and there have been some empty shelves where, normally, they front their inventory. So, I've seen it. The numbers back it up. Again, as you mentioned, there's not a direct effect on coronavirus itself, but certainly, vitamin C supports a healthy immune system, and that's what people are looking for now. Traditionally, our sales do spike during the cold and flu months, November to February. We heavy-up our advertising and marketing during that period, historically, but of course, with people falling sick now to this new disease, that's only supported more interest in orange juice and vitamin C.

Michelle: Andrew, what about packing lines? Can the pack houses keep up with this sudden increase in demand? Or is the demand outpacing the current supply? And should consumers be worried that orange juice and oranges are going to disappear from store shelves?

Andrew: I don't think it's to that point. We have seven major processing plants here in Florida. They are all working extremely hard, is what I'm being told. I don't think we're to the point where our supply chain can't meet the demand that's out there. But, certainly, they are working hard, and we're getting our late-season Valencias to the processing plants as fast as we can at this point.

Michelle: What about moving products once they’re actually packaged? Are you finding that there are enough truck drivers out there to move the product and respond to this new increased workload?

Andrew: Again, I haven't really pursued that. I haven't heard anything from our contacts and the meetings that I have that there has been any sort of distribution issues at this point. I don't think we're at that point, and (I don’t think) that much stress is being put on the supply chain. I haven't received or heard any information on that front.

Michelle: Citrus is, of course, harvested by hand. Can you talk specifically about what precautions are in place to keep people safe during this pandemic?

Andrew: Yeah, we're a critical industry. We've been deemed a critical industry from the federal government on down, and, of course, our state ag commissioner, Nikki Fried, has determined us to be a critical industry, as well as our governor, Ron DeSantis. We have people going to work. We were under strict food-safety guidelines prior to this virus and this pandemic hitting, so there are very stringent state and federal food-safety guidelines: hairnets, gloves, sanitation. Those sorts of things are already very much in place in our industry. Each individual packing house or processor are taking their precautions, whether it's social distancing, requiring washing of hands, even above and beyond what the regulations require. Some employers are using masks, employees wearing masks. We're used to the food safety and hygiene issues, being a food industry. I think those have actually been amped up in this environment. We're doing all we can to get a healthy, safe product out to consumers right now.

Michelle: This pandemic has just been a terrible thing for everybody. At this time, it's hard to talk about opportunity, but right now, really, in the citrus world, this is a tremendous rebound. For at least a decade, citrus growers have battled citrus greening. That's a disease, of course, that's killing the world's orange trees, and growers really struggled financially over the last several years. What does this new uptick in sales mean to growers? Is it a rebound of sorts?

Andrew: It's big. I mean, it's mixed emotions, of course. We aren't looking to capitalize on a crisis situation. But certainly, with the consumption numbers falling over the last, really, decade and a half, I can't tell you anything other than it is good news. We are encouraged that people still see orange juice as a healthy drink, that's clear, and a source of vitamin C. It's mixed emotions. It's big, yup. HLB, or citrus greening, has ravaged our groves. Our production has fallen from 240 million boxes 15 years ago to about 70 million boxes of oranges. Those are 90-pound sealed boxes. You can see the production. Now, not all of that is due to greening. We've experienced hurricanes, of course, real estate pressure, other diseases, but a big part of it is because of greening. The fact that we've shown, year over year, increases in this first four-week period is encouraging. But again, it's mixed emotions because it is on the back of this pandemic.

Michelle: How do you see the future of citrus going forward? The next five years, for example: Will this habit of people going after vitamin C continue after this pandemic is over?

Andrew: I think it will. I think it's let the cat out of the bag. I think our marketers will take advantage of it. I think that we're going to be here to stay on a consumption side, and we'll rally. We've got optimistic growers out there. Our acreage isn't the same, our production isn't the same, but the men and women who remain in the industry are in it for the long run. We don't have gentlemen farmers or hobbyists or people who aren't doing this as a full-time job. We've got the best and the brightest growers. They're well-schooled in economics and science and meteorology. It's really — you have to be a jack of all trades now to be a citrus grower.

We're cautiously optimistic. We think that we've learned — through nutritional programs, through new rootstocks, through different production techniques and encouraging root health and the proper irrigation pH in our irrigation water — that we can produce quality oranges and grapefruit and tangerines, even with this immense disease pressure from greening. So, we're cautiously optimistic. If you're not cautiously optimistic, you probably shouldn't be in agriculture, because it is a difficult profession.

Michelle: Outside of the citrus industry, what are you seeing where you're located? How are other crop farmers faring during this crisis? Tomato growers, for example, watermelons — what are you seeing and hearing as you talk with so many others around your state?

Andrew: Yeah, everybody is challenged. They are also out there and experiencing support because of the health benefits of fresh winter vegetables. Our winter harvest for those commodities is pretty much over. That comes and winds down in March and the end of March. As far as the direct effect, we're winding down those harvests of those crops. But again, there are trade issues out there. We want to be protected. Our winter fruit and vegetables want to be protected in any new trade deals with Mexico. They're a huge competitor. That's weighing heavy on the minds. The U.S. Trade Representative recently canceled some public hearings that were going to take place in the next week where we were going to, as an agriculture industry — not just citrus — weigh in and make sure that there are protections over dumping and unfair trade practices and that sort of thing. So, we'll be looking to have that rescheduled when the curve gets flattened on this pandemic.

Issues like trade are still (going to be) weighing heavily when this all gets cleared up. As they always do, we'll get back to business, but it's, again, a way of life, and it’s agriculture, and there are always issues. Thank goodness organizations like Florida Citrus Mutual and the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and the Florida Farm Bureau are out there advocating for growth.

Michelle: It's a challenging time, learning to navigate this strange new world that we live in. But in such a time, do you feel that the general public is perceiving agriculture in a new way, a better way — perhaps (feeling) even more grateful to growers, to farmers around the world?

Andrew: I absolutely do. I think that people are more and more concerned with where their food is grown. They understand and are becoming more educated that it doesn't originate in the grocery store. I think, especially here in Florida, where there's high population growth, that green space is coveted, and agriculture is seen as green space, wildlife habitat, water recharge. I think people have come around in the last 10 years to 15 years and appreciate agriculture that much more and understand the good work that farmers do.

Michelle: Andrew Meadows from Citrus Mutual in Florida, thank you so much for joining us today.

Andrew: Great. Thank you very much for your time.

Michelle: For additional resources on COVID-19, visit Alltech.com.

Click here for additional COVID-19 resources.

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Andrew Meadows is heartened to know consumers still see orange juice as a significant source of vitamin C and claims about 95% of Florida's oranges are used to make juice.

Carl Chaney - Dairy on-demand: Keeping shelves stocked

With more pressure being placed on the global food supply chain, the spotlight is on the crucial role of farmers and producers. Carl Chaney of Chaney’s Dairy in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA, shares his perspective on how the crisis is impacting his dairy, the industry and consumer perceptions of agriculture.

The following is an edited transcript of Michelle Michael’s interview with Carl Chaney. Click below to hear the full audio.

Michelle: Hello! I'm Michelle Michael. In this special series of AgFuture, we're talking with those working along the food supply chain about the impact of COVID-19. My guest today is Carl Chaney from Chaney's Dairy in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Now, Carl, you pasteurize the milk on your farm from your cows. That allows you to sell fluid milk (and) make value-added products such as cheese, yogurt and, a very important part of your business, ice cream that is made with the milk from your cows.

Carl: Yes, ma'am.

Michelle: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you're the only place in Kentucky making ice cream that comes from your own milk.

Carl: That is exactly right.

Michelle: Now, Kentucky, of course, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases — they're rising, but at a slower rate than some other states. Carl, are you staying sane in these times of social distancing? And what does that mean on a farm? Is it business as usual?

Carl: It's pretty close to business as usual. I have heard where some farmers are being asked to not be around the barn when people come up to pick up the milk. For us, that has not been a problem. Part of our milk still goes off-farm, and right now, we're at about three days' worth of milk production that we process ourselves.

Michelle: Can you explain to us what your day-to-day is like right now in the dairy business?

Carl: Sure. Right now, like I said, it's not changing a whole lot, and I suspect quite a bit of agriculture is that way. I get up every morning. The first thing I do is I try to scrape the slabs. I try to feed the cow, stir the pack, I will grind feed during the day, and then you do it again in the evening. I've got my niece, Dory, that takes care of the calves. I guess the part that concerns us more than anything is that, whenever you go off-farm, what are you subjecting yourself to? I know, when we deliver milk, one of my questions is: are we safe? Are we safe to go into the grocery store, take milk, put milk on the shelves?

Now, I'll tell you: what we're doing is we're not talking to very many people. Whenever we get back to the truck after every store, then, we take wipes and wipe off our hands, wipe off the steering wheel, anything that we can think of. Because my wife and I both — I'm 66. I won't tell you her age, she might not appreciate that, but she's a little younger than me. We're in that age group to where I think we have to be very careful.

Michelle: Especially in terms of agriculture, this is really an unprecedented situation. I have heard from other producers that there is a significant increase in demand for eggs and milk, in particular. What are farmers focusing on in the dairy world right now? And how are they meeting that demand, if there is an increase?

Carl: Well, like, for us, our cows, we've got a Lely robot, and the robot is really doing a great job. Our Jerseys are averaging about 70 pounds of milk a day, and our focus is on trying to have as much milk as possible every day so that we can have plenty of product, whether it's for the gentleman that picks up our milk or it's for ourselves, to make sure we have some. About a week, a week and a half ago was when the big push was for milk. I saw, I think, where a lot of the stores are running out of milk. I think this week has not been as bad. I think everybody was kind of caught off guard, and I think, now, the supply chain has been restocked.

Michelle: In your opinion, do you see lessons in agriculture right now that we can take away from this situation in regards to how the food supply works?

Carl: What I'm seeing right now is I think people now are more appreciative. We do agritourism here on the farm. Last year, we had almost 14,000 people come down to the farm to see the cows, to see how the milk is produced. Unfortunately, for us, now, we've closed that down. We're not letting people come down to the farm because I think there are still a lot of things that we just don't know. That has always been a very important thing to us. But I think, now, as we're going into the stores, we're finding people that are very, very appreciative of what we do. I thank people because we are able to see the consumer, where most dairy farmers are not able to. They produce a product, the co-op picks it up and then it goes on the shelf. Our face is on the milk, more or less, when they pick it up, so they know us and they talk to us, which is really nice. Right now, there's a very nice, big appreciation — not just for us, but, I think, for all of agriculture, all of dairy farms.

Michelle: When things return to normal, will you be forced to make changes to your operation based on the impact of the outbreak now or any insights that you might have gained from it?

Carl: Well, of course. Like with the agritourism, that's a big part of our business. We will make sure that we have a buffer built in because, right now, up at our ice cream store/restaurant, our revenues are about 20%, considering what they were last year at this time. So, what we're trying to do is we're trying to keep all of our employees as best as we can and keep them working, because this will be over. This will come to an end, and when that happens, we need to be ready to ramp up pretty quickly, I think.

I think it's like people who went through the Depression. They always had that in the back of their minds. My dad was one. He would never throw away anything. I don't think I understood that, but you know, I think I'm beginning to understand a little bit better now what they went through from what we've gone through and what we'll look to in the future.

Michelle: Absolutely. Just going back to something you said previously, you mentioned that people feel more appreciative right now. Have you seen any particular instances of how this situation is impacting the way people perceive agriculture, either from a governmental perspective or from the consumer perspective?

Carl: Well, it's the same thing. Whenever there's a snowstorm, milk and bread, that's what everybody talks about. Well, this is managed, but to a worse situation, and so people have had to do without. When you do without, then you respect more what you didn't have. I think, now, these folks — and I mean, again, there was one night we went out and delivered milk. At one store, we had two people that stopped and said, "We really appreciate everything you all are doing to keep milk on the shelves." I'm fortunate that I get to hear that. I wish every dairy farmer that's out there, I wish they could have heard that. I wish they could hear that, “Hey, what you all are doing is important and we appreciate you.” Because you don't really appreciate anything until you don't have it. It's just the way it is.

Michelle: At the end of the day, you hit the nail on the head there. It seems that, right now, people are talking about healthcare workers as heroes. They're talking about truck drivers as heroes. Right now, I'd put farmers and producers into that same category. What are your thoughts on that? To hear the people say thank you — how does it make you feel?

Carl: Well, it just makes you feel like all of this work that we dairy farmers have been doing every day, every day of the year, for the last five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 years, it's finally like, well, we appreciate that you now thank us for what we're doing, but we've been doing this. We do this every day of the year. We don't do this just when you're short a meal. We're taking care of these cows every day. So, I don't think people understand that, and I don't think they appreciate that.

Most of the people that come to the farm, they don't, they still don't get it. The kids, they don't get it that we milk the cows. Most farmers are milking their cows twice a day every day. I tell people we milked in a barn for 54 years, a barn that we milked in twice a day every day for 54 years, and we never missed a milking. People are just like, "You’ve got to be kidding me." I'm like, "Yes, it's what we do. It's our life."

Michelle: Right now, what you're seeing on social media is so much about this panic buying, the empty shelves. What message do you have for consumers here in the U.S., or right here in Kentucky? Should people be worried that milk is disappearing altogether anytime soon? Is there enough out there?

Carl: Yeah, there's plenty of milk. I think the biggest problem was that this caught everybody off guard. It caught us off guard. We checked the shelves, we delivered milk on Friday, we checked the shelves on Sunday, and the shelves were in good shape. Monday, when they shut down in Kentucky, when they shut down the restaurants, it scared everybody. By Monday night, I had a friend call me and said, "Hey, why don't you have any milk over at the store?" And I said, "Well, we do." And he said, “There's not a gallon or a half gallon on the shelf.” That night, we went and we delivered milk.

I think it caught everybody off guard. What we're seeing this week, now, it's a little bit more back to normal. I think people have had a chance — the processing plants, the truckers and everybody now have had a chance to catch their breath, see what the need is, get it out there. I don't think that there's the problem that there was last week.

Michelle: All around the world right now, in the middle of all this crisis, we have heard lots of stories about just random acts of human-kindness during these times of struggle. Have you heard any stories like that in Bowling Green or from any of your other friends who farm? Have you heard anything special happening in the world of agriculture that we have not heard about yet?

Carl: Well, it's just, I think there's lots of people out there that, when they see an opportunity — I know now that the schools are closed. We had a lady that's actually a family member, and she was talking about how her school, how they were doing, like, grab-and-go, where they fix lunches for the kids and the kids drive by in cars, their parents drive by in their cars, and they hand it to them, grab-and-go. So, we were fortunate enough to be able to supply some milk for them. Because especially when it was short, I think there was a panic, and I think this kind of let people know, you know what, every farmer will probably have a chance to do something. That was our chance. We're also looking at other ways, because we all can do more.

We're fortunate that we're out here in a rural area. The people that live in the cities, I really worry about them, but this hits everywhere. It doesn't hit just a city. It will hit rural areas also, so we all have to be very careful.

Michelle: It almost seems, at this time, it's a real reminder that — I've heard from producers all around the world that people think milk comes from the grocery store, that bread comes from the grocery, that eggs come from the store. Is this a reminder of what goes on behind the scenes?

Carl: Oh, for sure. But all of us need a wake-up call every now and then. It's like I've always said: There are things I don't appreciate. Every morning when I get up, what do I do? I go over and cut the light switch on. I expect electricity. I expect the lights to come on. I go over to the sink; I cut the water on. Water comes right through the pipe. It's just like, now, consumers go to the grocery store. Milk is not there. Oh, my gosh, well, what if I went one morning to cut the lights on and the lights didn't come out? What if the water didn't come through the pipe? Now, we all are getting an opportunity to say, “Hey, everybody is important, and we all have to do our job.”

Michelle: Carl Chaney, we certainly appreciate everything you're doing to keep milk on the shelves. You're from Chaney's Dairy in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Thank you so much for joining us today.

Carl: You're so welcome.

Michelle: For additional resources on COVID-19, visit alltech.com.

Click here for additional COVID-19 resources.

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