HURST (WSIL) -- Pork processor Smithfield Foods shut down a major U.S. plant after a coronavirus outbreak among workers, and while that put a spotlight on the food supply chain during the pandemic, a local supplier is seeing an increase in business.
"We have seen a dramatic increase in people coming out here looking for stuff, and it really is good that people are seeking out that local product when the grocery stores don't seem to have what people are needing," said Roger Schuttek with Big Muddy Hogs in Williamson County. He said, when it comes to eating local, not much can compare with getting your food straight from the source.
"Right now, (we have) 20 breeding sows and a couple bores and there's just over a 100 feeders on the farm -- and that's everything from little bitty babies on up to 250 lb market hogs," said Schuttek, adding that Big Muddy has eight years of bringing locally raised meats to market on 30 acres in Hurst, Illinois.
"I think we're starting to see now, how a centralized food, when it does have a problem, it affects everybody," said Schuttek. With the increasing concerns on food shortages, handling, and where it comes from, he said supporting local farms is a natural choice.
"I haven't been to a box store in a month, I've been able to get what we need here at Big Muddy Hogs," said Hurst resident Judy Igielinski, who was out at the farm Wednesday afternoon picking up a few items.
Igielinski and her husband are disabled, making trips to larger markets difficult. They found Big Muddy shortly after the Stay at Home order was announced. "Oh my goodness, they have great smoked pork chops, bacon, they have eggs, they have bread, they have toilet paper, they have a lot of things that are really hard to get right now."
Shopping local puts money back into the economy in which folks live, and between farmers' markets, or the farm itself, they are open for business.
"Support your local farmers, there's so many in southern Illinois and they really need people right now to support them," said Schuttek.
Big Muddy Hogs is open seven days a week, even on the holidays. They are located just off Illinois route 149 alongside the railroad tracks on Adams Street in Hurst.
