How Virginia Livestock Farmers Are Navigating the Pandemic
In partnership with: Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Many livestock farmers faced uphill battles during the COVID-19 crisis. Fortunately, these diligent and hardworking producers found ways to think outside the box, adapting or modifying their businesses in order to survive and continue generating quality food products for the American people.
Potter Family Farm
The Potter family can trace their agricultural heritage back seven generations. In the mid-1800s, their ancestors began farming along Buffalo Creek. Today, the family currently has their hands in several livestock operations, including Buffalo Creek Beef, their branded beef program, and Cattlemen’s Market, their retail operation.
Rosalea Potter says their team always wanted to err on the side of caution during the early days of the pandemic. “We didn’t want our customers or employees to get sick, but we knew we needed our products to be available so people could continue to get the items they needed to put food on the table,” she says.
In the beginning, this meant shutting the doors and operating via curbside pickup. But with the phone ringing off the hook and orders flooding in left and right, they quickly realized this wasn’t a sustainable operating method.
“We developed an internal system to keep things straight, and all of our customers were appreciative of our efforts,” Potter says. “We still have a few buyers who request curbside service, but our doors are now open to the public again. Everyone has been diligent about safety standards, and we saw our sales numbers double.”
See more: Virginia’s Top Agricultural Commodities
Highland Dairy
Sonny Johnson launched Highland Dairy in 1946, and his family has carried on the tradition for almost 75 years on their 1,100- acre farm in southwest Virginia. His granddaughter, Rena Johnson, is the third generation on the farm and eager to see the business continue to grow and thrive.
“When my granddaddy started milking cows, he had a herd of 20,” Johnson says. “Today, we milk 600 cows three times a day. We built a new parlor and raise our own heifers.”
Johnson said many farmers went into 2020 with high hopes for a good year, but COVID-19 changed everything.
“Milk was suddenly difficult to find in the grocery stores, but we kept hearing about farmers having to dump their supply,” she says. “Our co-op told us to be prepared to dump milk as well, but we were fortunate to never need to do that.”
“We have to keep caring for our animals and producing milk, same as always.”
Rena Johnson, farmer, Highland Dairy
Johnson thinks being in the Southeast spared their farm from this cold reality. “Many of the plants in the Southeast are fluid plants,” she explains. “They are set up to make fluid milk, which is what the country needed en masse at the beginning of the pandemic. Other regions that make cheese or powdered milk saw demand fall overnight due to things like restaurant closures.”
Environmental Safeguards
The pandemic naturally incentivized people to be more concerned about the safety of their animal products and put more thought into where their food comes from. Residents of Virginia will be happy to know the state already requires high standards of farmers, such as the projects overseen by the Evergreen Soil and Water Conservation District.
“One of our main focuses is helping livestock farmers develop better water-management practices,” says Sarah Gardner, their senior conservation and education specialist. “One of the big things we do is help cost share for farmers to fence livestock out of natural water sources, which leads to healthier cattle and healthier streams. It’s a win for the farmer’s pocketbook and keeps our streams and rivers a lot cleaner.”
Like many in the farming industry, Johnson says she hopes people continue to appreciate farmers and their dedication to feeding the community once the pandemic comes to an end. “We can’t do our job over Zoom,” she says. “We have to keep caring for our animals and producing milk, same as always.”