The Pandemic - an Opportunity to Rethink Our Way of Life
A look back at 2020, and looking forward to thriving and supporting local businesses…
For those who are prone to anxiety attacks, there was no better fodder than the daily news of doom, gloom, and uncertainty that was being churned out by media during the early spring of last year. But even that would not have been enough to cause the great toilet paper shortage of 2020, when people went on such a mad buying spree as to leave others perplexed and paperless.
If you were one of those who already had ample supplies, it was the only comic relief that made us reflect on the psychology of panic. It’s not as if it was a cholera pandemic after all, and people were not suddenly going to the bathroom so much more then before, even if we did spend more time than ever sequestered in our homes.
Following that, things didn’t look up much really. But, the pandemic has definitely forced us to rethink our priorities, to be thankful for what we do have, and to appreciate the simpler things in life – family, relationships in general, and the human connection.
The lock-down munchies
It has also forced us to rethink our shopping and eating habits. For instance, for those who live in a big city, in the before times we might have made a couple of trips a week to a supermarket for non-consumables and basics like milk and bread, while we got by with fast-food or ate out at up-scale restaurants for the rest of the week.
During the first months of 2020, when the lockdown was more extreme, places like pizza restaurants saw a surge in business because they already had the infrastructure to cope with it. But there were many city businesses who didn’t adapt and sadly closed down.
In the beginning, city dwellers were caught out trying to think of what to eat without having to buy ingredients and learning how to cook, so they did the next best thing – eat a lot of take-out. But people soon adapted to the new normal by realizing that living on take-out is not financially viable in the long run. And the lockdown kept being extended.
So they got to cookin’.
Bulk items like flour, sugar, spices and canned goods flew off the shelves. Supermarkets had people taking selfies with the backdrop of empty shelves to document the severity of the situation.
Patience and preserves
In rural areas, the situation was not much different. Canning, as in preserving fruits and vegetables in jars, must have reached a peak because there was not a jar in sight to be bought. Even now, it’s hard to find glass jars for preserving food, which brings up the issue of prepping.
We wouldn’t be wrong if we hoped for the best, but who’s to say that things won’t get worse before they get better? Even if we don’t experience more lockdowns, a major recession is not unlikely given government overspending and even the suspension of imports from major trade-partners. This is not to scare you. We’re still optimistic for the future. It’s just that preparing for all possibilities isn’t that crazy anymore. The question is how to do it sustainably.
During an extreme lockdown when non-essential businesses are closed, it may be tempting to go to the nearest big box store or hypermarket to stock up on certain goods. That might be a good idea when it comes to things such as paper, sanitary products, and cleaning products that are manufactured in huge quantities by large factories, but there are many consumables that would be best bought closer to home. This is invaluable for small-scale farms and businesses that rely on local traffic to keep them going.
It’s well worth searching for those suppliers that sell direct to the public and are within a relatively short distance of home. They’re the ones you want to have a good relationship with during harder times. Plus, by supporting them now, you may well earn yourself a prioritized customer status with them later when they become overwhelmed with demand, especially in a future where the imports that big box stores rely on are no longer an option.
Think local
Here is a list of places that are worth having on your side, regardless of what the future holds:
Dairy farms - for dairy products such milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt, kefir, but also eggs, honey, and locally made jellies etc.
Farms that sell grass-fed meats such as beef, pork, chicken, lamb, bison, turkey, including cured meats that have a much longer shelf-life
Fruit orchards - will usually have a direct to public store where they sell more than just fruit; so one might find baked goods, preserves, eggs, honey, etc.
Flour mills - these guys usually sell direct online and offer more than just wheat flour
Bakeries - for real breads and all things delicious
Coffee roasters
Cottage industry artisans that sell hand-made soaps, ointments, and other products that are crafted without toxic chemicals
Farmer’s markets of course are a great place to source and get to know suppliers of all of the above.
Wood suppliers of split and weathered wood for wood-stoves
Lumber yards and building material suppliers
Local hardware stores for emergency supplies like light bulbs, batteries, etc.
And if you are one of the thousands of ex-city dwellers who has recently relocated to the country as part of the urban exodus and you’re thinking of starting a business, here are some additional ideas to those above for what might come in demand in a more locally focused world:
Organic permaculture supply store to aid self-sufficiency & suburban farming
Butcher/small-scale meat processing facility where people can take their livestock to be butchered (Think of how many people would love to keep a pig or chickens for food, and now think of how many would like the thought of actually slaughtering them for food - now you get the picture.)
Crafting workshop to teach knitting, sewing, weaving, felt-making, etc. in person and online
Dress-maker & tailor shop where people can have clothes made to measure, or mended
Shoe-maker – for shoe-repair as well as custom creations
Yarn and fabric supply store
Sawmill to produce local finished lumber
Furniture maker without the designer prices
Blacksmith for all things metal that we often take for granted
Glassmith & pottery for essential, plastic-free homewares
Grain supply depot to stock and sell various grains & seeds
Industrial composting to feed all those new vegetable gardens
And anything we currently purely rely on importing really.
It’s not just during hard times that shopping local matters. It’s these smaller industries that are truly essential and need to be kept afloat for the sake of our economy and to sustain community wellbeing.
Check back soon for our list of all the local suppliers we’ve found in our area.
Got any other suggestions? Comment below.