Coronavirus affects American Dairies
Here is an article by Alexandra Jones that explains what’s going on for our country’s artisan cheese makers.
With restaurants closed and farmers’ markets on hiatus, survival means finding new ways to feed animals, preserve highly perishable product, and bring in enough income to weather the pandemic.
“Glendale Shepherd’s Lynn Swanson raises sheep on Whidbey Island in Washington’s Puget Sound. The evening of Friday, March 13, Swanson got word that her three weekend farmers’ markets in Seattle—the city that has been ground zero for coronavirus infections in the U.S.—were canceled until further notice. After scrambling to spread the word that she would take pre-orders of meat, cheese, and yogurt for pickup near her standard market sites, Swanson pulled through the weekend with about half her usual sales volume. If meeting customers in a central location is no longer an option, she’ll try home delivery as a plan C.
“I’ve got to keep feeding my sheep, I’ve got to keep milking my sheep—those things can’t stop,” Swanson said. “How do I pay for the food, the milking and all that? We’ve got to keep trying to figure out new ways to get some product sold.”