Luke Brubaker admitted that he’s proud of his soil as he bent over and gestured with an extended arm to a field on his northwestern Lancaster County dairy operation.
Dairy was a tight market to begin with, Martin said. Having to turn around and make everything for the consumer side was difficult. We ve never seen such rapid and devastating change as at the beginning of COVID, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture spokesperson Shannon Powers said.
Powers added that the industry is witnessing several farmers added in-demand products such as yogurt. The ability to pivot and change directions has been vital for survival. When the pandemic hit, it was a bombshell, Luke Brubaker of Brubaker Farms in Mount Joy said. Schools were a big thing. It took heart out of the industry.”