Kalamazoo Times

The COVID-19 outbreak has devastated countless industries, the restaurant industry being one of the most acutely injured. Beyond just food preparation, though, suppliers of ingredients have been hard hit by declining clientele numbers. 

According to MLive, some local farmers are struggling to stay in business after the nation shut down more than five weeks ago. 

Norm Carlson, of Carlson Farms in Lawton, said that 90% of his business as a farmer was with local restaurants, but in the midst of the coronavirus, it has been impossible to stay profitable. Carlson said that the news that restaurants were closing hit him hard. 

“Everybody thinks of the cooks and the chefs, and the waiters and the other staffing, but for the really good restaurants that are doing farm direct, your Food Dances, your Latitude 42s, your Lake Burger, your Organic Gypsy, it was devastating,” Carlson told MLive. “One second they were there, and the next second they were gone."

As the provider of many of the ingredients for local restaurants, Carlson said that he has a relationship with the restaurant owners, working directly with them. 

Carlson has been able to bring in some income by selling food to local grocers and Bronson Methodist Hospital; he is also selling meat and eggs directly to customers. 

While some income has been coming in, thanks to these alternative avenues, Carlson fears what may happen if the coronavirus continues to result in lengthier lockdowns. 

“I’m worried about people,” Carlson told MLive. "I’m worried about the businesses that we are in business with with, that we are supplying... This is going to be quite difficult for some of them to even survive."

Carlson has always planned on passing the farm down to his sons and granddaughters. He hopes that when that time comes, he will still have a farm.