SPRINGFIELD (ILLINOIS CAPITOL BUREAU) -- Many industries are taking a hit from the coronavirus pandemic, but farmers are barely getting by, as demand for their products is changing. Whether it is limiting milk purchases or higher feed prices, farmers are being hit hard.
"It's kind of bewildering," said Farmer Chad Wallace. "You know, people that I talk to now have a completely different opinion on what things were two weeks ago."
Wallace raises livestock and vegetables about 20 miles west of Springfield in Ashland, Illinois. He says many friends are struggling to get by. That's because farmers are facing shifting markets and supply line interruptions due to the pandemic.
"We see depressed commodity prices for the grains and pork and beef as well," said Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert Jr. He says leaders need to start thinking about bringing the country's economy back together. "Is there some rationalization that needs to be considered, particularly in rural America, where we could start things back up and get back to some point of normalcy - whatever normal is - sooner than later?"
"All tough choices, all risks"
Farm-to-table restaurants are also seeing a drastic hit. Brent Schwoerer had to lay off about 80% of his staff at Springfield's Engrained Brewery & Restaurant. "It's all tough choices, all risks. Some of us will come out on the good side of taking chances, and some of us won't. That's what sucks, because you just don't know how it's gonna go."
The Illinois Stewardship Alliance is working to ease some of the burden. They've launched a , connecting people with local food sources across Illinois. "With the current conditions, more people are trying to find local food online," said Illinois Stewardship Alliance Spokeswoman Molly Gleason. "So we've been really hustling this last month to move up that launch date."
Gleason chairs the Alliance's Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois Coalition, which is part of a national campaign to connect farmers and eaters in an effort to support local, sustainable food systems. The coalition has highlighted local farmers, farmers markets and food grocers across Central Illinois for 12 years, but Gleason says their new website features a statewide directory to help all residents.
"We're also working to develop a number of marketing campaigns to implement across the state and drive shoppers to the directory. What we've heard mostly from farmers is that there's all kinds of directories, but it doesn't matter if people don't know where it is. They need to be able to find it," explained Gleason.
Becoming marketable
Wallace firmly supports this idea, as he currently works with several small farmers to make his personal website a one-stop shop.
"There's more items per visit, you know. You can get 10 items, plus all my meat. So that makes me more marketable, which makes them marketable. And I presume that's happening throughout the state," added Wallace.
Engrained is one of several restaurants listed on the directory. Schwoerer has already started an online market with prepared meals and staple items from local farms. He says everyone has to adapt, but is worried about what he'll have to do once the pandemic ends. "Am I gonna be able to promise all of my people a job when we reopen? I don't know. I don't know what level of sales I can do," Schwoerer explained. "I'm trying to have my business model adapt to the times, but it's difficult to give my employees some level of certainty."
Schwoerer considered shutting down Engrained to relieve stress and try to stop the financial bleed, but he said that wouldn't help employees, farmers he works with, or the community. "Let's take the hard road, because I think in the end, it will pay off. Keep people employed and do what we can, while we hope for the best."
