Keep Going

June 12, 2020 | Ed Scharringa

Each year, I help my son, who now runs the family flower farm, by bringing shipments to the Ontario Food Terminal. If you had asked me in March whether we would be able to do so again this year, I would have been very uncertain.

This season at the Food Terminal has been a different experience from other years to say the least. Health and safety measures were quickly adapted to meet new regulations due to Covid-19. It’s an understatement to say things looked different.

But things really felt different, too, as the pandemic brought a lot of uncertainty to the horticulture sector and other commodities.

As with any situation one can talk of the negatives, but there’s a positive.

Unfortunately, closed shops during the Easter and Mother’s Day rush left many flower growers with unsold product. But just before Mother’s Day, our premier opened the garden centres to sales. I don’t believe anyone really expected what happened. There was a burst of demand from consumers. With so many Canadians keeping to their homes, what better way to spend time than to garden?

Soon there was a supply issue. Growers had in general cut back on productivity, so many sold out in record time. We have shipped our last load of garden products to the Terminal last week.

I want to encourage all who find themselves facing uncertainty. It is not time to give up. Keep going. Difficult situations often lead to new opportunities. This crisis, too, will end. May it end with the blessing of enough provision to pay this year’s bills, and may your table be blessed with enough daily bread.

In all things, we give thanks to our heavenly father for the blessings that we have received, even when it all looks so bleak. God bless you in this season.

Ed Scharringa is Board of Directors President of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKXS Chatham, and CKNX Wingham.