By ASHLEY FOX

Staff writer

The year 2019 was an off year for farmers in the Mahoning Valley — poor weather caused them to delay planting or, in some cases, washed away what they had already put into the ground.

Last year was a bit better. Mother Nature was more accommodating, giving growers good weather, but the viral outbreak created a new challenge. Farmers were left holding onto a glut of crops because of a declining market.

Dairy farmers began performing more work on site; produce farmers were left with supply as demand fell when the economy shut down, providing an opportunity to get creative; and local cattle farmers who raise cows for beef have work for the near future.

This year, local agricultural officials are hopeful farmers will strike a balance.

The largest and most obvious factor in a successful year for a farmer is weather.

Last year, if nothing else, was a good year to grow plants, and the industry seemed to be on the rebound from the previous, soggy year.

Lee Beers, agricultural and natural resource educator for the Ohio State University Extension in Cortland, said 2020 started great, but soured quickly when the pandemic struck.

“We actually had a drier year than we had in 2019 that allowed our crops to go in the ground on time,” said Beers, adding that the harvest wasn’t muddy. “It was a nice relief.”

As for 2021, if the weather cooperates, “we’ll have a pretty decent growing season,” Beers said. “It should be a good year.”

CASH FLOW

Last year’s unstable market provided a “renewed interest in local products,” boding well for farm markets and stands, said Haley Shoemaker, program coordinator with the OSU Extension office in Mahoning County.

Also, many people turned to growing food themselves.

“People who were casual gardeners went above and beyond, planting more,” Beers said.

An unstable market and more at-home growers left many farms with an abundance of inventory and little revenue. To help, the government stepped in.

The Valley last year saw an average of 35 to 40 percent of cash farm income made up of government payments, such as through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).

Many of the government assistance programs helped keep farms afloat, Shoemaker said. That statistic, although unusually high last year, fluctuates each year, depending on significant weather patterns or in this case, the pandemic.

The goal this year is for farmers to feel more stable after washouts and a global health crisis.

“That cash income is going to look a little different for farms, so they need to feel like they are getting back on their feet,” Shoemaker said.

Since the “initial shock” of COVID-19 has been absorbed, markets are beginning to level out once more, Shoemaker said.

The agriculture industry likely will see an overall decrease in farm income this year, as the CFAP payments won’t be disbursed, Shoemaker said. But,farmers had optimism when they headed into the planting season with above-average prices, Beers said.

FARM NUMBERS

Sprawling out of city limits throughout the Valley are stretches of farm land, filled with plants and grazing animals.

Trumbull County has about 17,500 acres of corn, 27,500 acres of soy beans, 3,800 acres of winter wheat and 2,000 acres of oats.

Many crop farms are also on the same land as the dairy farms, supporting the feed needed for the cattle. In Trumbull County, there were 93,000 heads of cattle, including calves, with 31,500 dairy cows.

In comparison, the state has 1.3 million head of cattle, with 252,000 of them dairy cows.

PRODUCE

One farming sector that didn’t see relief after a promising start is produce, prompting many farmers to think outside the box.

As schools and businesses closed in March 2020, many farmers were wondering how they were going to make it through the year or even survive prior to CFAP and other government programs.

In Trumbull County, Red Basket Farms in Kinsman saw a halt in orders, as they supply milk and crops to the Joseph Badger Local School District along with districts in the Cleveland area. They also sell produce to local restaurants.

Amy Davis and husband, Floyd, own the farm, along with Good Intentions Market and Cafe and Red Basket Farm’s Padrone’s Pizza.

As the pandemic took effect, the farm lost most of its business. “Our entire outlet for produce just stopped. Our whole spring was a wash,” Davis said.

Red Basket grows year-round, using 20,000 square feet of green houses.

This year, the team is excited to apply last year’s experiences.

“We learned last summer if it stays the same, we understand what we can do and what people are comfortable doing,” Davis said. “It’s a fantastic way of looking at things differently during a pandemic.”

BUTCHER SHOP

Steve Badurik, owner of Badurik’s Butcher Block in Mineral Ridge, said business increased nearly 50 percent in 2020. The shop is in its 13th year.

It was when schools began to close that “things just exploded,” Badurik said. When major meat packing plants around the country began shutting down, folks began to turn to local butchers.

Working with his several suppliers, Badurik was able to ensure he had enough to meet demand.

He also simplified his menu of bundles.

“Before COVID, I had probably 10 to 12 different bundles and packages. I eliminated all of them and made one, which allowed me to stock up on things that were in that bundle and make sure I was able to provide,” Badurik said.

The demand allowed for overtime for his staff, so Badurik utilized the federal Paycheck Protection Program.

“It helped because with the volume we were doing, we were all working overtime,” he said. His payroll increased by about 25 to 30 percent over a several-month run.

Finding a way to accommodate the new daily volume proved to be the largest obstacle to overcome. The family atmosphere of the local butcher shop changed for a while, during which time employees and customers were retrained to serve on a one-at-a-time basis.

In January and February, Badurik opened the shop back up to the public, which is usually a slower time. Traffic has been steady, he said.

“It allowed us to get re-acclimated to doing business how we used to. It was great because one of my favorite things about the shop is interacting with our customers every day,” Badurik said.

“It’s great to be open again, inside. We’re a little place, but we offer 20 different sausages, 20 different burgers,” he said, referring the the variety of work he and his team complete.

Should the butcher block face adversity again, Badurik said he is ready.

afox@vindy.com