Hey readers, this week, as the pandemic continues to hobble the meat industry, we ask whether small farms could provide a more sustainable future.
The commercial meat industry, highly centralized and largely controlled by four companies — Cargill, JBS, Smithfield and Tyson — has been rocked by the coronavirus. As the virus spread to some of the country’s largest meat processing facilities, it killed workers and forced plants to shut down for deep cleaning.
This has left an opening for some smaller farms. For Colorado couple Chloe Johnson and her husband, Craig Scariot, running SkyPilot Farm hasn’t been easy or made them rich. But the pair are having unexpected success during the current crisis, which has them cautiously optimistic about the future of local, sustainable agriculture. Over the past months, “a lot of people have been exposed to a new way of thinking about food,” Scariot said.
“We were growing slowly and steadily over the years," added Johnson. "Now we’re not able to keep up with demand.”
What do you think? We'd love to hear from you. Cheers, Laura, Amanda and Kyla | 
