If you’re like me, you’ve noticed that the shelves at most grocery retailers are a bit bare… Grocery shelves that have historically been fully-stocked were suddenly barren of all products. The canned food aisle is empty and the meat coolers are picked over and product is sparse.
What’s going on with the bare shelves?
The easy answer is panic buying. The more complex answer deals with the pitfalls of a just in time (JIT) inventory management system that nearly all retailers have adopted. While this style of supply chain management is efficient for the retailer, it shows just how fragile the system is when unexpected events occur (like a pandemic).
As a result of JIT inventory, grocery stores only stock a three day supply of food. Keep in mind, that’s three NORMAL days, not three days of pandemic buying. They don’t have back rooms that are filled to the ceiling with additional supplies. When the shelves run bare, it can often take several days for them to be restocked because of the complex supply chain involved. Fruits and vegetables have to be imported from overseas, they must clear customs and inspections, they must be transported to the local distribution centers, and finally sent to the store where they’ll be put back on the shelves.
What does all this have to do with farming?
When you produce your own food, even a little bit of it, you are reducing your dependence on a fragile food delivery system. A small flock of a 3-4 laying hens can easily provide enough eggs for a family. A herb garden makes meals more enjoyable and provides freshness based on the season. Potatoes can be sprouted from spuds that sat around a bit too long before eating. Small investments can pay huge dividends if the traditional grocery supply chain experiences turmoil.
If you can’t grow your own food, or don’t have an interest in doing so, you can purchase from local farmers. Their products will be at the peak of freshness and your money will be spent back into your local economy. When food is grown locally and consumed locally, it is immune from a fragile system of cross-country transportation that leads to empty shelves and shortages.