Communities Rally Behind Farmers & Ranchers Amid Food Shortage Scare
Cars line up for miles to support local agriculture
By Kelen McBreen | INFOWARS.COM Tuesday, May 05, 2020
Local communities are flocking to local farms and butchers to help ease problems with the supply chain, and because supermarkets are limiting how much meat customers can purchase.
As grocery stores like Kroger, Costco and Giant Eagle or fast-food restaurants like Wendy’s begin rationing meat and meat processing plants across the country shut down due to coronavirus, citizens are rapidly seeing rumors of a meat shortage become reality.
Infowars reported on Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) warning of serious food shortages back on April 13.
We are weeks, not months, away from farmers euthanizing animals that would have been sold for meat/food. Also, fruits and vegetables are going to rot in the fields. A drastic change in policy this week could ameliorate this inevitability.
Listen here:https://t.co/bCzTX763r1
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 13, 2020
Then, last week, a rancher went viral online after releasing a video warning the US beef supply will plummet if ranches start culling harvest-ready cattle due to shut-down processing plants not taking livestock.
“They are preparing us to depopulate the fat cattle ready to harvest because of a bottleneck created by the effects of Covid,” the rancher from Archer Co., Texas, warned. “…We are in trouble. Our food supply is in trouble.”
An April 29th press release from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union said, “At least 13 processing plants have closed over the past two months, resulting in a 25% reduction in pork slaughter capacity and 10 percent reduction in beef slaughter capacity.”
With some of the nation’s largest meat processing plants closing due to coronavirus outbreaks, President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act last week, compelling plants to stay open.
In response to this impending crisis, Americans are already helping farmers and ranchers by skipping the big chains and going directly to the source.
For example, the Whoa Nellie Dairy Farm in Fayette County, Pennsylvania decided to bottle their own milk instead of dumping it out and sold out of 30 gallons within hours.
“My husband and I just came up with that mission to try to bottle it all. Even though we knew we had a tiny pasteurizing system, we just thought we’d make it a mission to get it all bottled without dumping any,” said owner Mary Beth Brown.
This is America ! 🇺🇸Whoa Nellie Dairy Farm, PA decided to bottle their own milk instead of dumping it out . Community responded 👇👇They sold out in matter of hours . PS: They’ve also been supplying milk to ppl in need ! Way to go ! @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/7YXtjIQXIa
— VeBee🇺🇸✝️ (@VeBo1991) April 30, 2020
A similar line of cars was seen in Moses Lake, Washington where potato farmers were donating produce originally grown for restaurants.
Today in Moses lake, farmers gave away potatoes grown for restaurants. Hundreds of cars line up. Making the best of a horrible situation. Thank you Washington potato growers! 🥔❤️ pic.twitter.com/FIzfF4AD56
— Judy (@judycat1951) May 1, 2020
Another long line of cars was spotted in Ritzville, Washington where potato farmers donated excess spuds.
HAPPENING NOW: A massive line has formed in Ritzville where potato farmers are giving away 20 tons of potatoes. Due to the pandemic, farmers’ freezers are overstocked with potatoes normally sold to the food industry. 📹: @Kaitlin_Knapp1 pic.twitter.com/e0r3NxK1Bm
— KAPP-KVEW (@KAPPKVEW) April 29, 2020
An Ohio butcher shop reports an increase in new customers as grocery store supplies become more limited because butchers don’t use the same suppliers.
Congressman Thomas Massie, the same one who warned of shortages a month before they hit, has introduced the PRIME Act in an attempt to prevent America from wasting its meat supply.
“Thousands of animals will be killed & wasted today instead of feeding families. Meanwhile, Congress takes an extended vacation,” he writes. “Farmers are going broke and shelves are going empty. Instead of just granting immunity from (American!) employee lawsuits to foreign-owned companies, why not put America first?”
Massie’s act allows states to allow intrastate distribution of meat without USDA approval.
Because it’s difficult to receive USDA approval amid the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing meat supply chain issues, the act would increase the meat supply and a considerable amount, thus reducing costs for consumers.
Massie, a rancher who owns 50 head of cattle on his off-the-grid farm in northeast Kentucky, touched on the meat shortage crisis on the Todd Starnes Show on Tuesday:
