Some Local Farmers Struggling, Others Making Up For Losses During Coronavirus Outbreak
PLYMOUTH (CBS13) — In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and a statewide lockdown, farmer Daniel D'Agostini finds himself in somewhat of a bubble.
"This is really different from picking something up in the store that's gone from a truck through who knows how many steps, how many hands held it," said D'Agostini.
D'Agostini runs Abbondanza Farms in Amador County. With people reluctant to buy from the grocery store or even hesitant to meet the crowds at the farmer's market, D'Agostini has been inundated with people wanting individual orders for their families.
"I can't keep up with it, I have to allocate and I'm reaching a point where I have to say, 'sorry there won't be anything available,'" said D'Agostini.
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He's not the only one. Mama Earth Farm in Somerset tells CBS13 they're not just busy boxing up individual orders, they're delivering them right to people's doorsteps.
D'Agostini grew up on the land he now runs as a farm. He never imagined 70 years later, it would become a community hotspot in the middle of a pandemic.
"I think this whole virus incident is an amazing reset for people to think about the way they live," said D'Agostini.
Not every farm is seeing an uptick. West County Farms says the drop in restaurant orders has them struggling to stay afloat and if they don't make up for the lost revenue, they may be forced to shut down.