There are things that happen in life that you know you will never forget. My short list is easy to come up with: the Challenger disaster, 9-11, and the births of my children.

I’ve decided to add the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 to that list. Maybe it is because of my kids and I’m at a completely different place in my life than when Challenger or 9-11 happened, but this one feels like it has the potential to be the most memorable of all.

With a busy career and four busy children, we are always on the go. Rarely do we have a night with no travel for mom or activities for the girls. As I lamented in an earlier blog, it’s a rare occasion where we really use our kitchen. Our lifestyle, which we love, just hasn’t allowed time for things that 30 years ago were routine — like nightly family dinners, watching our favorite TV shows, or just sitting around talking.

For now, life as we know it has been cancelled. We have nothing but time.

Work meetings have gone virtual, which means no more travel. Schools are out, activities are cancelled and (as of last Monday) we are discouraged from meeting in groups of larger than 10 people. “Social distancing” will possibly be the most used phrase of 2020.

To say that times are uncertain would be an understatement. Those of us in animal agriculture and food production will no doubt suffer emotional and economic challenges during this time, but people need to eat and we are uniquely situated to help.

What can we, as an industry, do to help support our consumers and communities in this unprecedented time?

First, we need to understand what is on consumers’ minds. Right now, they are:

Looking for ways to pair protein with their existing pantry staples and the center of store items on which they stocked up (along with all that toilet paper!);
Reinvigorating their cook-at-home routine in light of restaurant closures;
Navigating and occupying kids who are usually in school;
Thinking about how to stretch their food dollar.

We have no lack of how-to videos and recipes; let’s figure out how to get them in the hands of the shoppers and consumers who need them. In the spirit of “making lemons out of lemonade,” cooking meals can be something that families can rally around during this crazy time. What is more reliable or familiar than a ham sandwich or a pork chop? In the midst of uncertainly and confusion, nothing sounds better than returning to what is comfortable and understandable.

Finally, we know that the control measures that have “cancelled life” are impacting our communities in a myriad of ways. Food banks will likely see both volunteers and donations wane at a time when the need for food assistance is exploding. Our team at the National Pork Board is working now with our states and third-party organizations, like food banks, to understand how we can help. I urge you to please consider donating money, time or product to be part of the solution.

More than 6K pounds of jerky recalled due to lack of inspection

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