NATIONAL AG DAY
March 24, 2020 A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT OF
THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2020
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Princeton Daily Clarion Tuesday, March 24, 2020
The importance of ag literacy W
hy Celebrate Ag Day? Americans need to understand the value of agriculture in their daily lives. Here are just some of the key reasons why it’s important to recognize - and celebrate - Ag Day each year: • Increased knowledge of agriculture and nutrition allows individuals to make informed personal choices about diet and health. • Informed citizens will be able to participate in establishing the policies that will support a competitive agricultural industry in this country and abroad. • Employment opportunities exist across the board in agriculture. Career choices include: • farm production • agribusiness management and marketing • agricultural research and engineering • food science • processing and retailing • banking • education • landscape architecture • urban planning • energy and other fields. • Beginning in kindergarten and continuing through 12th grade, all students should receive some systematic instruction about agriculture. • Agriculture is too important a topic to be taught only to the small percentage of students considering
offers over 200 rewarding and challenging careers.
CAREER CATEGORIES Agricultural careers may be divided into various categories. These include: Agribusiness Management, Agricultural and Natural Resources Communications, Building Construction Management, Agriscience, Resource Development and Management, Parks, Recreations, and Tourism Resources, Packaging, Horticulture, Forestry, Food Science, and Fisheries/Wildlife.
GROWTH JOB MARKET careers in agriculture and pursuing vocational agricultural studies. • Agricultural literacy includes an understanding of agriculture’s history and current economic, social and environmental significance to all Americans. This understanding includes some knowledge of food and fiber production, processing and domestic and international marketing.
SEE LITERACY/PAGE 15
CAREERS IN AGRICULTURE The most obvious careers are directly related to the farm or ranch. But did you know that only 10 percent of Americans are involved in traditional farming? If that is the case, then what other careers comprise the agricultural field? There are approximately 22 million people who work in agriculture related fields. Unlike agriculture of our grandparents’ day, today’s agriculture
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Today, there are 3.75 million Americans employed full- and part-time in agriculture, including forestry, fishing and other activities. In comparison, the tech sector supports 4.3 million jobs. If one were
to look at food-related industries, the numbers jump way up. In fact, one in 12 American jobs is dependent on agriculture. Looking ahead, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting a 19 percent decline by the year 2022 in the number of farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers. This compares with an 11 percent increase in jobs for all occupations. But the outlook for jobs in agriculture is more promising than it first appears. The projected decline in farmers points to the continuing ability of the agriculture sector to produce more with fewer workers. By using drones, driverless tractors and other advanced technology, the farmer of the future will increasingly rely more on brains than brawn. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes
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Careers in Agriculture JOB DESCRIPTIONS
C
heck out even more detailed career profiles on AgCareers.com. Agribusiness Management: focuses on the managerial functions performed by organizations throughout the food system. Sample job titles: Commodity Trader, Agricultural Production Specialist, Purchasing Manager, Financial Manager, Farm Owner and Manager, and Wholesale/ Retail Buyer Manufacturing Manager. Companies that hire for these positions: Seneca Food Corporation, Ralston Purina Co., Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance, Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., and Dow Elanco. Agricultural and Natural Resources Communications: focuses on careers in journalism, public relations, and advertising/marketing. Sample job titles: Marketing Communications Manager, District Sales Representatives,
Advertising Manager, Reporter, Editor, and Account Manager. Companies that hire for these positions: Upjohn Co., USDA, Michigan Milk Producers Association, National Dairy Council, and Michigan Farm Bureau. Building Construction Management: focuses on land development and structural buildings. Sample job titles: Project Manager, Estimator, Construction Scheduler, Controller, Purchasing Agent, Site Manager, Field Engineer, Land Developer, and Real Estate Appraiser. Companies that hire for these positions: Turner Construction Company, Pulte Homes, Perini Building Co., and General Motors Corporation. Agriscience: provides a foundation for careers in agricultural and natural resources industries. Sample job titles: Agriscience Educator, Extension Educator, Farmer, and Human Resource
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Director. Companies that hire for these positions: Crop Production Services, John Deere, and Gerber Co. Resource Development and Management: focuses on policy analysis, planning, evaluation, budgeting, and program management. Sample job titles: Environmental Analyst, Environmental Planner, Solid Waste Coordinator, Water Resource Specialist, and Economic Development Specialist. Companies that hire for these positions: Cooperative Extension Service, The Clinton River Watershed, The National Park Service, Enviroscope, Senate and House Policy Offices, Lobbying Organizations, Banking Organizations, City and State governments, and Hospitals. Parks, Recreation and Tourism Resources: focuses on planning and managing programs, areas, and facilities that are designed to meet people’s leisure
needs and enhance quality of life. Sample job titles: Park Ranger, Interpreter/ Naturalist, Environmental Educator, Travel and Convention Planner, Youth Program Director, Camp Counselor, Park and Recreation Director, and Tourism Consultant. Companies that hire for these positions: Hilton and Marriott Resorts, Hospitals, YMCA, Golf Courses, Six Flags Great Adventure, and the Walt Disney Company. Packaging: focusing on food packaging, health care and pharmaceutical packaging, and industrial packaging. Sample job titles: Packaging Engineer, Quality Control Coordinator, Laboratory Manager, and Package Designer. Companies that hire for these positions: Coca-Cola Co., Hershey Chocolate USA, Johnson and Johnson, 3M, IBM Corp., and Amway Corp. SEE CAREERS/PAGE 4
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Princeton Daily Clarion Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Governments, and USDA Forest Service. Food Science: focuses on the development of new foods, FROM PAGE 3 investigation of new production and processing methods, and Horticulture: focuses on the researches ways to insure a science and art concerned with culture, marketing, and utilization safe, nutritious and economical food supply. Sample job titles: of high value, intensively cultivated Food Technician, Laboratory fruits, flowers, vegetables, and Technician, Food Chemist, ornamental plants. Sample job and Quality Control Manager. titles: Retail Manager, Landscape Companies that hire for these Designer, Entrepreneur, Florist, positions: Pepsicola, Kraft/General Contractor, Nursery Grower, and Foods, Hygrade Food Products, Nursery Stock Buyer. Companies Kellogg Company, General Mills, that hire for these positions: Pillsbury, and Heinz USA. Gerber, Mawby Fruit Farms, Ball Fisheries and Wildlife: Corporation, and Pan American focuses on environmental Seed. management, conservation, Forestry: focuses on the and wildlife ecology and science and art of managing management. Sample job titles: natural resources that occur Land Management Specialist, on forest lands. Sample job Water Quality Specialist, Habitat titles: Forester, Forest Ranger, Specialist, and Fish Hatchery Consulting Forester, District Manager. Companies that hire for Ranger, Arborist, Naturalist, these positions: US Forest Service, Timber Buyer, and Forest Bureau of Land Management, Nursery Manager. Companies state and local divisions of surface that hire for these positions: water quality, land and water The Mead Corporation, John management, and US Fish and Hancock Financial Services, City Wildlife Services.
What is Ag Day?
CAREERS
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t’s a day to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. Every year, producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America join together to recognize the contributions of agriculture.
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WHEN IS AG DAY?
Agriculture provides almost everything Ag Day is celebrated on March 24, 2020. we eat, use and wear on a daily basis. National Ag Day falls during National Ag But too few people truly understand this Week, March 22-28, 2020. contribution. This is particularly the case in our schools, where students may only be exposed to agriculture if they enroll in WHO HOSTS AG DAY? The Agriculture Council of America hosts related vocational training. By building awareness, the Agriculture the campaign on a national level. However, Council of America is encouraging young the awareness efforts in communities people to consider career opportunities in across America are as influential - if not agriculture. more - than the broad-scale effort. Each American farmer feeds more than 165 people ... a dramatic increase from 25 WHAT IS AG DAY ALL ABOUT? people in the 1960s. Quite simply, American Ag Day is about recognizing - and celebrating - the contribution of agriculture agriculture is doing more - and doing it in our everyday lives. The National Ag Day better. As the world population soars, there is an even greater demand for the food and program encourages every American to: Understand how food and fiber products fiber produced in the United States.
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How farmers are using drones T
he farmers of yesteryear might not be too familiar with their surroundings if they were to visit a modern farm. While the men and women who made their livings as farmers decades ago would no doubt still recognize certain farm features that have withstood the test of time, they might not understand the inner workings of the modern farm, particularly in regard to the role technology now plays within the agricultural sector. Technology has changed agriculture in myriad ways. The methods farmers employ to produce food and improve the efficiency of their operations has changed as technology has evolved. One of the more noticeable changes that’s hard to miss on modern farms is the use of agricultural drones. Drones have been around for decades. Sometimes referred to as “unmanned aerial vehicles,” or “UAVs,” drones can be utilized in ways that can save farmers money and protect the planet. • Monitor crops: According to senseFly, the commercial drone subsidiary of Parrot Group, drones can help farmers effectively monitor their crops. With a drone flying overhead, farmers can spot and quickly identify issues affecting their crops before those
issues escalate into something larger. • Soil analysis: Another potential benefit of agricultural drones highlights their role in analyzing soil. Agricultural drones utilize complex mapping functions to gather data about the soil, including areas where it might be stressed. That enables farmers to develop accurate soil samples that can be used to guide decisions in regard to irrigation and fertilization. • Reduce waste: SenseFly notes that data gathered by drones can help farmers determine the vigor of their crops at various stages of growth. Such information can prevent overfertilization and overwatering, thereby reducing waste and runoff, benefitting the planet as a result. • Planning: Drones can be used to collect data on crop growth and health at various times throughout the growing season. That can help farmers develop accurate predictions regarding harvest quality and crop yield, making it easier for them to plan ahead. Agricultural drones are one of the many examples that illustrate how technology has changed and will continue to change the ways modern farmers conduct business.
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Princeton Daily Clarion Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Agriculture and the economy T
hough it’s easy to look at the tech industr y and think this increasingly influential sector is what makes the world go round, something closer to the ver y core of the Ear th may be what’s driving your economy. The agricultural sector plays a strategic role in a nation’s economic development and prosperity. From the earliest days, agriculture has been heralded as playing a crucial role in Nor th American culture. Farmers who grow produce and raise livestock for meats and other products have long exemplified what it means to work hard and take initiatives to be self-suf ficient. The symbiotic nature of agriculture and the economy is noticeable when examining the ups and downs of each. This is because food production and the potential of agriculture extends beyond the fields and local food stands. These resources impact supply chains and
other markets. A strong agriculture base influences other employment sectors like food manufacturing,
biotechnology, hospitality, machiner y building, and much more, while a weak agriculture can
adversely af fect those sectors. While it can be dif ficult for residents of developed nations to visualize agriculture’s ef fect, one only needs to turn to impoverished and developing nations to see just how big an impact agriculture can have on an economy. Agriculture provides food and raw materials, eventually creating demand for goods produced in non-agricultural sectors. Also, food provides nutrition that can ser ve as the foundation of a healthy nation. Earning a living in agriculture strengthens purchasing power, which fuels other markets. Eventually, farming can pave the way for development, including roads, markets, shipping ser vices, expor ting, and many other sectors. Agriculture is an impor tant economic building block. An especially impor tant sector, the agricultural industr y, when suppor ted, can contribute greatly to sustained economic growth.
“Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful and most noble employment of man” George Washington
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The various benefits of farm-to-table F
ew things are more satisfying than biting into a fresh tomato right from the garden or seasoning a meal with herbs picked from a windowsill greenhouse. Restaurants recognize the value of such experiences, and more and more are relying on locally sourced products in their kitchens. The farm-to-table movement is not new, but it has gained momentum as consumers become increasingly enamored with the flavor and environmental impact of locally sourced foods. The National Restaurant Association found that farm-to-table food was one of its top 10 trends for 2015. Furthermore, the group says that one in five consumers are willing to pay more for local food, and 41 percent admit that locally sourced ingredients influence their decisions when choosing where to dine. Newcomers to the farm-to-table dining experience may not understand all the fuss surrounding this popular trend. The following are some of the key benefits of farm-to-table.
that has to travel further is often picked well before it is ready, ripening on the way to stores or other vendors.
BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT Food that needn’t travel far before reaching diners’ plates saves roughly 500 gallons of diesel fuel to haul produce a distance of 1,500 miles. This conserves fossil fuels and prevents harmful emissions from entering the atmosphere.
SUPPORTS NEIGHBORING FARMS Supporting farm-to-table restaurants and other eateries keeps business local in two different ways. It not only benefits local restaurants, but it also directly supports neighboring farms, fisheries and other suppliers.
PEAK FRESHNESS AND RIPENESS Local produce ripens on the plant and can be harvested at the last possible minute before it turns up on a
plate. This helps ensure that it contains the highest amount of nutrients and flavor, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Food
ACCESSIBILITY TO SEASONAL CHOICES Farm-to-table eating provides a wide SEE TABLE/PAGE 9
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Princeton Daily Clarion Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Corn demand contracting over the near term S
U R B A N A ,
I L L .
harp price drops across equity and commodity markets over recent trading sessions indicate that investors foresee a drop-off in economic activity over the near term. Only the duration and severity of the economic contraction remain uncertain, according to University of Illinois agricultural economist Todd Hubbs. “A severe contraction extending into the summer does not bode well for agricultural commodity prices. Corn demand will suffer over the short run with corn used for ethanol setting up for particular weakness,” Hubbs says. The wave of cancellations in response to the pandemic in the U.S. continue to pile up, Hubbs notes. An increase in canceled trips and reduced commuting in major metropolitan areas points toward a severe reduction in gasoline consumption. Estimates of a 15 to 20% reduction in gasoline use seem to be the expectation for many industry analysts over the next couple of months.
“While weekly estimates of ethanol production continue to show more than a million barrels a day through March 6, the prospect of reduced ethanol production looks certain,” Hubbs says. “If gasoline consumption falls by the expected amounts over the next two months, corn used for ethanol production may lose 120 to 170 million bushels. A continuation of reduced economic activity for an extended period will only exacerbate the demand loss.” The price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia in the oil market saw gasoline prices fall and appears set to continue into the summer driving season, Hubbs explains. “If the U.S. economy can recover, strong ethanol use looks likely as we move into the final months of the marketing year. Over the short run, the reduced consumption of corn used for ethanol places an added emphasis on export markets for corn prices,” he adds. Low corn prices helped pick up export sales over the last couple of weeks. The
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export sales for the week ending March 5 indicated 57.9 million bushels of net sales. Since the report, an additional 22.9 million bushels of sales came through the export sales reporting system. According to weekly export inspection and Census data, corn exports through March 12 totaled 669 million bushels. Exports need to average 42.9 million bushels per week for the remainder of the marketing year to hit the USDA forecast. “The pace of exports still lags USDA’s 1.725 billion bushel forecast,� Hubbs states. “The potential to reach the forecast requires an expansion of export sales. While U.S. exports still face competition from Ukraine, buying out of South Korea and Japan hint at a continuation of corn sales over the near term. “As China and other Asian nations emerge from the controls put in place during the coronavirus spread, an expectation of more robust exports appears plausible. The eventual size of Brazil’s second corn crop looks to be crucial for corn exports this summer.� USDA projections for corn production in the 2019-20 marketing
Tuesday, March 24, 20209 Princeton Daily Clarion
year stayed at 5.94 billion bushels for Brazil and Argentina. Brazil’s forecast production sits at 3.98 billion bushels. Forecasts for the second corn crop in Brazil currently sit near 2.88 billion bushels. The Brazilian corn supply situation remains tight. The expansion of livestock production in Brazil to meet Chinese demand places corn prices up significantly from last year. Hubbs notes that a substantial amount of the second crop in Parana, the second-largest corn region in Brazil, will go in outside the ideal planting window. Forecasts of dryness in the region require monitoring as the critical months of April and May arrive. A short crop in Brazil would pull down world supply and provide reduced export competition this summer for U.S. corn. The current USDA projection for feed and residual use sits at 5.525 billion bushels. First-quarter use estimates indicated 2.634 billion bushels for corn. Livestock-on-feed levels remain elevated and point toward strong feed use in the second quarter. “If the historical pattern of feed and residual use in corn hold this
marketing year, the second quarter use may be near 1.547 billion bushels. The March 1 corn stocks, due out on March 31, could reveal how quality issues and low corn prices impacted rations,� Hubbs states. Livestock prices fell sharply over the last few trading sessions on worries over reduced domestic meat consumption and disruptions to the supply chain for meat processing. Expanded meat purchases at grocery stores could offset some of the cancellations associated with restaurant and event closures. The impact on corn use for feed from the outbreak may not show up until later in 2020. “Corn prices will reflect the uncertainty surrounding economic outcomes from measures put in place to combat the outbreak over the short run,� Hubbs concludes. “If the actions put in place lead to a relatively rapid turnaround, underlying demand fundamentals hold the promise of higher prices than currently reflected in the market. A severe economic contraction leading to a global recession opens the way for continued weakness in prices.�
TABLE FROM PAGE 7
variety of in-season foods. This can translate into tastier foods because they are grown and harvested during their optimal growing season.
REDUCES FACTORY FARMING According to O.info, the informational resource powered by Overstock.com, farm-to-table and local farming can reduce reliance on large, profit-driven corporations that may focus on maximum production over animal health and welfare. Local farms may be more inclined to treat their animals well and institute sustainable practices.
LEARN ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
A person might live in an area and never know that a local vineyard is in the vicinity or that a producer of straight-from-the-hive honey is nearby. Exploring farm-to-table resources can open people’s eyes to local businesses doing great work in and around their communities. Farm-to-table is a popular movement that people are embracing for various reasons.
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Princeton Daily Clarion Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Don’t fear eating your fruits and veggies W E S T
L A FAY E T T E ,
I N D.
Modern supermarkets with their many open displays of fruits and vegetables are truly a mar vel and a reminder that our nation enjoys the safest and most abundant food supply in the world. However, in the face of the current nationwide COVID-19 outbreak, many questions about the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables have arisen. According to Amanda Deering, an Extension specialist in Purdue’s Department of Food Science, current research indicates that the virus is not foodborne or food-transmitted. “From all indications, the virus that causes COVID-19 appears to be transmitted just like other viruses,” Deering said. “This is ver y positive in that the same practices that we normally use to reduce contamination risk, such as washing your hands and washing fruit and vegetables before eating, should
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be applicable to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19.” Scott Monroe, Purdue Extension food safety educator, points out that many produce growers already incorporate good agricultural practice that reduce the risk of contamination by a human pathogen. “While viruses may be transmitted from surfaces, most growers take steps to prevent contamination. At this point in time, fear of COVID-19 should not be a reason to stop purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables,” he said. Although the risk is small that any individual would contract COVID-19 from selecting fresh produce, Deering and Monroe recommend the following steps to further reduce the risk:
especially if tongs or other shared utensils are used.
TRY NOT TO MANIPULATE PRODUCE ITEMS While part of the buying experience is feeling, touching and manipulating the produce, this may increase the probability of a pathogen being deposited on or acquired from the produce.
CONSIDER PREPACKAGED FRUITS AND VEGGIES
consistently been shown to increase overall health, including the immune system. Staying healthy increases the body’s ability to fight infections. By taking a few common-sense precautions, such as frequent hand-washing and washing of produce, consumers can continue to reap the health benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables without incurring excessive risk of acquiring COVID-19.
Consumers who are immunocompromised should consider purchasing pre-packaged fruits and vegetables as an added measure of caution or choose to eat cooked fruits and vegetables at this time.
WASH BEFORE CONSUMPTION FREQUENT HAND-WASHING EFFECTIVELY REDUCES RISK After a trip to the supermarket, make sure to wash your hands,
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All produce items should be washed thoroughly before consumption. The incorporation of fresh fruits and vegetables into one’s diet has
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Producers can navigate COVID-19 outbreak C
W E S T
L A FAY E T T E
OVID-19’s arrival in Indiana has created unprecedented disruption to local production cycles that bring food, fiber, flowers and more to our restaurants, farmers markets and communities. Now is the time to determine the best methods to find and connect with your customers during a time of confusion and challenge. You can play an important role in improving this connectivity along the supply chain and ensuring continued access to fresh produce and products in our local economies, and it is imperative to establish and implement plans before any additional drastic measure occurs that could affect your bottom line. As the indefinite cancellation of the Indy Winter Farmers Market illustrates, the potential
postponement or cancellation of farmers markets across Indiana could have a major impact on your business. Although the regular farmers market season is still six to seven weeks away, there exists significant potential that these markets will be postponed or potentially canceled. Additionally, many of your businesses may derive income from sales to Indiana restaurants — which recently shifted to takeout or deliver y orders only under a government mandate. Further restrictions, cancellations and closings related to COVID-19 also could have a major impact on demand for your products. This means you must become proactive in connecting with your customers. People will still want to eat SEE PRODUCERS/PAGE 12
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Princeton Daily Clarion Tuesday, March 24, 2020
set up ser vice through telephone or text.) Make sure you have a form for payment set up, and then explore FROM PAGE 11 online sales by: • Using Google Sheets or other fresh fruits and vegetables, online-software ordering forms. animal proteins such as meat, eggs, • Selling through Facebook. and dair y, and value-added food • Opening a webpage with your products, and they will still want ordering form. to purchase flowers and vegetable • Star ting a Community seedlings. Suppor ted Agriculture (CSA) This guide can help you navigate enterprise. these uncertain times by offering As you adapt to potential farmers ideas on: market closings, a CSA may be • Changing your business model. your best answer. A box of goods • Meeting the needs of the — often called a “shareâ€? — that you market. pack for your customer can reduce • Reaching your customer the number of people handling base without increasing potential products and can eliminate possible exposure to COVID-19. cross-contamination. • Continuing to generate income CSA options include: during this difficult period. • Pre-established shares with cer tain types/quantities of goods. ONLINE/PHONE SALES As more people choose to stay • Customizable shares where the at home rather than venture out consumer determines selection and for goods, you could capitalize size. through online sales that allow • Collaborative shares them to purchase your products coordinated with other farmers to from their residence. (If insuf ficient consolidate into one box of goods. broadband limits your capacity for • No matter what option you online orders or marketing, you can choose for online sales, you must
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follow all food safety standards and take appropriate measures to reduce possible product contamination. These include: • Ensure that you and your employees maintain good hygiene. • If you or any of your employees are sick, they should not work around food or food packaging and be sent home. • Encourage your customers to wash fruits and vegetables before use. • You also must establish a deliver y system for orders — either through a coordinated drop-of f point or pick-up at your farm. It also is impor tant to keep customers aware of what is coming in their order so they can best utilize its contents. Providing recipes and produce storage tips is a great way to help customers fully use what they receive and feel good about their purchase. Indiana has existing online-sales platforms to help more easily connect with customers, manage orders and coordinate deliver y locations. However, they primarily ser ve producers in the state’s urban areas.
Market Wagon is an online grocer y store/farmers market that sells hundreds of locally produced goods — including meats, vegetables, fruits and value-added products — from hubs of local producers across the Midwest. Its deliver y system reaches a number of dif ferent Indiana communities. You can sign up as a vendor to sell in this space. Hoosier Har vest Market (HHM) is a farmer-owned online farmer cooperative that features locally grown and produced goods. The members deliver primarily to central Indiana. Producers in the state’s nor thern or southern regions may want to contact them to gauge how to star t your own cooperative with multiple farms or coordinate new areas of operation for the HHM cooperative. A shift to online sales may not be easy, and there are no hard or fast rules about what works and what does not. However, online sales can help you stay connected with existing customers and perhaps gain new customers, and continue the safe, timely and profitable deliver y of your farm products.
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Tuesday, March 24, 20209 Princeton Daily Clarion
DELIVERY SYSTEMS
Deliver y may be the trickiest par t of changing your current business model and processes, but several options exist if you sell directly to customers: • Establish a pop-up stand for customers to pick up products on your farm or elsewhere. • Designate coordinated drop-of f points for your products. • Deliver directly to customers’ residences. Considering a pop-up stand? Some communities do not allow stands unless an area is zoned for commercial use or has a variance under consideration. People may also express concern about increased traf fic if your stand is in a residential area. It is also critical to remember that any home-based vendor must involve a physical venue of a farmers market or a roadside stand — and that their products can only be those described in Section 29 of Chapter 5 of the Indiana Code. Having customers come to your farm? Your stand or retail space must protect your products from
weather and minimize potential to spread COVID-19. These steps include: • Consulting your county health depar tment to ensure your area is not a hotspot for COVID-19 transmission. • Packing boxes in a way that prevents customers from touching one another’s products. • Staggering pick-up times to reduce crowds. Under taking additional cleaning and sanitation protocols, such as: • Regular cleaning of contact surfaces. • Hand-washing or hand-sanitizer stations at your pickup site. • Signage and communication encouraging customers to wash their hands before handling produce at a pickup location.
MANAGING INVENTORY You may need to account for inventor y challenges, including larger amounts or longer periods of product storage. What options do you have to accommodate those needs? Now is the time to review best practices and storage
conditions. Selling to distributors or processors that are able to take on more local produce can allow you to preser ve an early-season har vest when markets may be closed. However, you will need to search for such outlets and determine whether you meet their criteria for quantity and/or quality. If you are a meat or poultr y producer, animal production cycles may already be under way — par ticularly with beef, lamb and goat production — and must continue regardless of COVID-19’s spread. With shor ter animal-production cycles — such as poultr y or broiler production — explore modifying future orders with hatcheries to reduce production. But you can neither slow or delay animal growth in any meaningful way nor delay scheduled slaughter dates at inspected slaughter facilities. If sales decline despite your best ef for ts, you may need to explore options for additional freezer storage capacity. Additional freezer storage
options include: • Renting pallet space from food banks in their large freezer facilities. • Renting por table freezer. • Renting large freezers from local appliance-rental businesses. If multiple farmers in your community face similar challenges, it may benefit you to pool your resources toward cost reduction.
ADJUST CROP SCHEDULING You have options to adjust crop scheduling based on when you plant, how you har vest and, for some crops, how you manage growth. Now is the time to generate realistic estimates of what you expect to sell in the coming weeks, as well as your options to adjust har vest timing and quantity. Many shor t-season spring crops also can be grown in late summer and fall. Properly stored seeds can remain viable for a year or more, depending on the crop. For fruitingvegetable crops, removing early-set fruit can allow more energy for vegetative growth and later yield.
Fa r m Building our Community Helping farm operations open & grow since 1910 Contact us today! (812)753-1006 • germanamerican.com
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1910
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2020
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Princeton Daily Clarion Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Supply and demand and the coronavirus T
he coronavirus is a world tragedy. Millions will get sick and too many will die. All of us will worr y about family and friends. All of us will miss important events in our lives. The economy will suffer too. But how much? Let’s see if we can think it through using the economists’ tools – supply and demand. Supply is the production of goods and ser vices, mostly by businesses. At first the news was about how the virus was disrupting supply chains in Asia. Businesses couldn’t get parts, couldn’t get products assembled, and couldn’t get them shipped. Now, though, it looks like the main shortage will be employees. A lot of people will have to stay home sick. Without all their employees, businesses can’t deliver as many products, fully staff offices and factories, or stay open regular hours.
Some will be required to close. Supply is reduced. Demand is an even bigger problem. Demand is spending on goods and services, mostly by households. Social isolation will keep people at home. We’ll especially cut back on the goods and services we buy in the company of groups of people. Airplanes fly with few passengers. Vacations are postponed. Sports and entertainment events are canceled. Restaurants are nearly empty or even closed. Demand is reduced. Of course, demand increased for some goods—hand sanitizer and toilet paper, for example. This demand should slack off in relatively short order. After awhile the hall closet is bursting with toilet paper, and there’s no need to buy more. Restricted supply and lower demand will reduce the quantity of products bought and sold.
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Gross domestic product will fall. Unemployment will rise. There will be a recession. Maybe the recession will be V-shaped – a sharp decline and a recover y just as sharp. After all, the economy was in good shape. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Februar y unemployment rate was back at 3.5%, a 50-year low. Perhaps the expansion will resume when the coronavirus fades. Businesses will get parts, their employees will return, establishments will reopen, and people will emerge from isolation and start spending, maybe a lot. Supply and demand both bounce back. But the recession could be L-shaped – a sharp decline and then months of miser y. What if businesses can’t resume production, people can’t go back to their jobs, and consumers
can’t resume spending? Businesses don’t earn revenue if they can’t sell their products. If they can’t pay their suppliers or the interest on their loans, some will fail. Employees can’t go back to their jobs if their employers are out of business. Those incomes will be lost, so spending won’t rise back to where it was. And many consumers will use up savings during the isolation, and will have to rebuild their finances by spending less. Perhaps most dangerous of all, banks and other lenders may stop lending if many borrowers default on loans, or if lenders aren’t sure about risks. Remember the financial market freeze during the Great Recession. The recession can’t be avoided, but policy might keep it V-shaped. The Federal Reser ve uses monetar y policy to influence interest rates, and
Tuesday, March 24, 20209 Princeton Daily Clarion
acts as the lender of last resort. The Fed has cut rates as much as it can. This should encourage borrowing and spending. The Fed has already provided more than $1.5 trillion in loans to financial markets, to stop them from freezing up. Most of those loans will be repaid, with interest, when the recession ends. Fiscal policy uses federal taxing and spending. We could provide businesses and households with a bridge during the social isolation. Support revenues so businesses don’t fold. Subsidize payrolls so they can keep their employees. Support household spending so people can pay rent and utilities, do essential shopping, and so they don’t deplete their savings as much. Those are the goals; the means are a matter of debate. But don’t debate for too long! Supply is down. Demand is down. The longest expansion in U.S. histor y is probably over. But if we’re lucky and smart, we’ll have a V-shaped downturn and recover y. If we’re not so lucky, or not so smart, we’ll have a longer, deeper recession. So be smart. Keep your distance! Wash your hands!
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LITERACY FROM PAGE 2
an increasing number of small-scale farmers who have developed successful market niches that involve personalized, direct contact with consumers. The BLS also finds that completing a degree at a college of agriculture is becoming important for men and women who want to farm or work in a supporting role. What’s most encouraging are prospects for good jobs in all of agriculture, from large, highly-capitalized operations to small farms that supply farmer’s markets and local restaurants. This is confirmed in an Agriculture Department report that says college graduates will find good employment opportunities over the next five years in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources or the environment. Between now and 2020, USDA expects to see almost 58,000 average job openings per year for graduates with a bachelor’s degree or higher in those areas. The strongest job market is expected for plant scientists, food scientists, sustainable biomaterials specialists, water resources scientists and engineers, precision agriculture specialists, and farm-animal veterinarians. A strong market is expected for e-commerce managers and marketing agents, ecosystem managers, ag-science educators, crop advisors and pest control specialists.
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Princeton Daily Clarion Tuesday, March 24, 2020
From Left to right President: Ben Heidenreich Vice President: Andrew Ice Secretary: Kaitlyn Dunkel Reporter: Cortney Dove Treasurer: Caleb Longabaugh Sentinel: Joe Koberstein
Future Farmers of America PCHS FFA Chapter Establishe December ecemb 1, 1941 94 Established
“...As we mingle with others, let us be
diligent in labor, just in our dealings, courteous to everyone, and, above all,
Honest and fair in the game of life...�