“Trinity Valley Dairy in Homer normally delivers between 4,000 to 4,500 gallons of milk a week to retailers across the state, owner Brandon Brown said.
That number nearly doubled to 8,000 gallons during the second week of March due to increased demand in the wake of panic buying in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was crazy,” Brown said. “We bottled it, put it on the truck and it was out the door.”
Stores in Cortland like Price Chopper and Tops Friendly Markets ordered more milk from Trinity Valley Dairy after running out of milk from suppliers like Garelick Farms, Byrne Dairy and Upstate Farms, he said.
The number of gallons has decreased this week for Brown’s farm, but farmers across Cortland County have been working to adjust to coronavirus.
In Brown’s case, that comes by returning to a marketing model not seen in nearly a half-century: door-to-door delivery of milk. That, and a drive-through window.
Brown’s case, though, has been an outlier as farms across America haven’t seen major leaps in production, said Mark James, a senior field adviser for the New York Farm Bureau.
James, who provides guidance to Farm Bureau leaders on behalf of farmers in six counties across the Finger Lakes, including Cortland County, said the biggest change for farmers has been using social distancing and making sure they’re extra diligent with handwashing and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
The bureau is also advocating on behalf of the farms and industries to provide supplies to farms to make sure they are considered essential businesses during the pandemic.
As for shortages of foods or liquids produced by farmers, like milk, he said he wasn’t aware of any in his region.
“It’s so far, so good,” he said.
At Trinity Valley Dairy, the coronavirus pandemic is changing how the business operates, Brown said.
For customers wanting to abide by socialdistancing guidelines, a drive-through window is available for pickup of orders or direct ordering.
Deliveries to homes will start today for milk, cheese and other dairy products. The farm’s store has opened early for the season as well, he said.
The original opening was planned for April 30 but with demand increasing recently and people wanting to avoid crowded spaces in supermarkets, Brown decided to open early.”