The Farmer. An Essential Worker?

I am a chef. I don’t know how to fix the economy or bring back the way of life we had before COVID-19 changed the world. All I know is the lessons that so many farmers have passed on to me throughout years. In times of selfishness, farmers are selfless. In times of fear, they persevere through community action. We are called to stay at home but we are not called to inaction.

Farmers are deemed essential workers, meaning they carry risks that many of us are afraid to endure in times of crisis. These fears are compounded by the uncertainty of not knowing when things will go back to “normal.” Here is a harsh reality check: normal as we know it is over for now.

Back in 2012, I started a company that hosts dinners on farms across New England known as The Farmers Dinner. I was tired of sourcing products from thousands of miles away while hard working farmers in my area went under the radar. Since 2012, I have spent thousands of hours on farms across New England getting to know the people in our communities who grow and raise the food we consume. I have witnessed farms struggle to find and keep customers. I have seen farmers sell the land that their families have passed down for generations just to avoid foreclosure and I have watched as they broke down in tears not knowing where the money would come from to pay their bills.