
An American Farm Bureau Federation study points out that consumer spending for food at grocery stores increased 27%, since the end of March, while food purchased at restaurants declined 25%. This switch in where food is consumed could impact farmers in the Four Corners Region who depend on sales to restaurants. However, Beth LaShell, Fort Lewis College, Old Fort at Hesperus Coordinator points out that demand for local agricultural products is robust. She expects that meat sales at the Old Fort Country Store and the Fort Lewis Farm Stand will be 50% higher than a year ago. But farmers who usually sell to restaurants are hedging their bets by ramping up direct sales to consumers through offering pickup opportunities and deliveries and planning sales at farmers markets. LaShell reports that some of the restaurants that have closed in Durango, have received loans through the Federal Paycheck Protection Program, so they’re continuing to pay their staff, while encouraging these furloughed workers to volunteer to help local farmers complete their spring field work.