Covid-19 Farm Impact

So, what has been the Covid-19 impact to our farm?

I believe these numbers paint a clear picture:

*2,937 unique visits to our website in the past 28 days
*397 people have signed up to be customers since March 1st. A 40% increase
*331 orders processed since March 1st vs. 75 or so per month. A 225% increase.
       There is no doubt this number would have been more if we were not out of stock on so many items

The BIG question being asked by regenerative pasture based farms like Nature's Gourmet Farm is "How Long Will This Surge In Orders Last?"

Frankly, the answer depends on how long the virus & quarantine last. If it is relatively short lived then many new customers will revert back to prior buying habits. However, the longer this last then the more customers will convert permanently to pasture-raised meats and eggs.

Many will recognize the value of knowing the folks who raise their food - vs. a faceless brand offered at grocery stores.

Others will be impressed with the taste of pasture raised meat & eggs. And determine it is a great value vs. the commercial raised food.

There will also be folks like Jay who now realizes the importance of good nutrition to protect our immune system. Jay owns his own concrete finishing business. That is how I first meet him in early 2019 when he finished the slab for my non-GMO feed bins. Last Saturday he came seeking me out to discuss "just how do we raise food and why is it better?" As a young black man he is concerned about 72% of deaths from the virus in Mississippi that are black people and stated how they tend to eat cheaply.

I've had friends tell me the restrictions have been good for their family. Because both parents and kids were involved in so many things in the evening they hardly spent time together. Meals were grab something out and go! Now, they are cooking & eating meals at home and spending quality family time together.

I am sure you have heard about all the beef, pork, and chicken commercial processing plants that have shut down this week due to employees testing positive for the virus. Additionally, both the Beef & Poultry Producer magazines had articles how the small and medium farms were the ones that would be able to best respond to meat shortages caused by these shutdowns.

Our food supply chain is way to centralized in the hands of a few global corporations that for years have used their state and federal lobbyist (and lawyers) to write legislation to suppress competition from small local farms. The virus has exposed many of the concerns expressed by Christopher Leonard in his book "The Meat Racket" The Secret Takeover of America's Food Business.

Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation praised Leonard by saying "Cruelty, greed, and monopoly power-that is what Christopher Leonard has found at the heart of America's meat packing industry. This book offers a devastating portrait of an industry's irresponsible behavior."

The good news is there is a whole community of farmers who are willing and able to supply meat to consumers. And, others who are looking to step up to the plate if they can make a decent living for their family.

One of the things we are looking at doing is helping other farms by aggregating their products into our website & delivery schedules. This week I was approached by Madeline who owns Compostella Farm in Picayune, MS. They are an organic vegetable farm specializing in salad greens packaged in clamshells. Their website is www.compostellafarm.com. There is a drop down menu for Products.

Before moving forward, I would like to know what interest our customers would have in supporting this farm's products. So, please check them out and let me know your thoughts.

Until next week take care and be safe!

** Product Availability Update **
Chicken - Next processing is Wednesday, April 22nd and again every two weeks.

Eggs- Gathering 1400+ eggs per day! Demand is very strong. Availability is hard to forecast because the inventory moves IN/OUT daily.

Beef- I have delivered 10 beef for processing in April. Picked up 4 on April 17. More due for pickup next week and the week of April 27th.

Pork- Sausages and Bacon restock about April 23rd. Delivered 9 for processing April 13th that should be ready mid May.

Rachel F. recently left this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Google Review:
"The pork patty sausage is amazing! We also tried ribeyes, bought some chicken bones for broth, and fresh eggs. Everything was delicious!"