The Coshocton County Beacon August 26, 2020 | Page 18

18 • The Beacon August 26, 2020 The only certainty which exists right now is uncertainty Hello Coshocton County. A few weeks ago, I ran across an article written by Dr. Les Anderson, who is an extension beef specialist for the University of Kentucky. Quite typically Anderson shares beef-management advice, but in this particular article, he discussed the ability of farmers to adapt and change. His article sparked my interest. So if we may, let’s talk about change. As many of you know, I grew up on a dairy farm. If there is one thing you learn about cows, it is they don’t like change. Most dairy cows are the happiest when there is consistency. They want the same food each day. They prefer to be milked at the same time and even lie in the same stall each and every day. They will follow the same path in the pasture and will get startled when something is in their path that wasn’t there the day before. I, like the cows I grew up with, struggle at times with change. I stated a few months David Marrison OSU AG Extension Talk ago that the only certainty which exists right now is uncertainty. The coronavirus has made us change many of our daily habits and routines. If I was a cow, I would be completely flustered by now. But one of the blessings of the pandemic is that it has caused most of us to pause and reflect a bit. In some respect it has brought us back to simpler times or allowed us to regain our focus on what truly is important. For me, life since March has taken me back to my childhood. Growing up on a dairy farm meant social distancing was just our way of life. We didn’t go out to eat as there were only two fast-food restaurants in the entire county. We went to the grocery store maybe twice per month and went shopping for clothes right before school started each year. We stayed home and worked. We were teleworking before it was cool. We raised our own meat and grew most of our vegetables in a huge family garden. We grew and canned every vegetable you can imagine. We had a yellow transparent apple tree that supplied enough applesauce for every family for miles around. My parents never had to worry about us being distracted by technology as we had a “party line” phone and our neighbor Marion was always on it. Our one television got only three stations, and the highlights of our TV time were watching the daily news, “Little House on the Prairie” and “60 Minutes.” Our one social event for the week was going to church every Sunday morning. Farmers have always been good at social distancing; however, even the most seasoned introvert might admit they are missing social interaction. I know I am missing the ability to hold in-person meetings and farm visits without restrictions. And many of our great local events like First Farm Friday and the Fall Foliage & Farm Tour are taking a pause this year. And while the Coshocton County Fair will go on, it won’t look the same. Our methods of interactions also have changed. I was raised to give a firm handshake, and now that has changed. Masks, 6-foot separation, no big crowds, no handshakes and no hugs have changed us all. Whether we want to admit it or not, some of these changes will be around for a while. The COVID pandemic also has created issues in agriculture. Instead of our usual market cycles, we saw prices move up and down in ways we could never imagine. Some commodities such as dairy are still recovering from a 40% price drop this past spring. The coronavirus pandemic also has showed the weakness of our processing sector. A relatively small number of plants process much of the beef, chicken and pork in the United States. Our recent meat shortage was not due to a lack of livestock but a lack of processing. Now customers are clamoring for more locally produced meat. Problem is we don’t have enough small, local meat processors to handle the sharp increases in demand. COVID-19 has showed how fragile a consolidated meat-processing sector can be. So how can we make systemic change to encourage more small processors? There are many other ways our agriculture industry has had to change and adapt due to the coronavirus. The big question is which of the changes and adaptations need to become part of our new normal of conducting business? This pandemic will end (the sooner, the better). However, it would be foolish to think another situation like the current one will never occur again. My question to each reader is how will you adapt and change? It is easy to stay in our comfort zone, just like our dairy cows prefer. I would encourage each of you to think about how you will need to continue to change and adapt. COVID-19 is providing a great opportunity for individuals, families and businesses alike to re-evaluate themselves. This is a chance to jump off of the hamster wheel of life and to think. Now is the time to evaluate, reinvent, experiment or double down on a new business strategy. In short, make sure you don’t waste a good pandemic. In closing, I would like to share a quote from Albert Einstein, who said, “In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.” Have a good and safe day. David Marrison is associate professor and extension educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension. He can be reached at 740-622-2265 or [email protected]. BANKRUPTCY BF-00488554 Mitchell Marczewski • Personal & Small Business • Call for Free Publication “The 10 Most Common Questions about Bankruptcy” • Stop Creditor Harassment, Repossession, Garnishment and Sheriff Sales • Save Your Home and Car • Emergency Filing Available We are a debt relief agency and help people file bankruptcy under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Marczewski Law Offices 1020 Maple Ave., Zanesville (next to Dr. Adornetto) 740-453-8900 | www.zanesvillelawyer.com BF-00475230