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    SERVING ON THE

                                     FRONTLINES

                                  Essential workers and the food system,

                                                  COVID and beyond

                                                         By Marlene Petersen

           They  work  every  day,  through  blizzards,  disease,  and  civil   “A safety shield was installed at the front desk and social
           unrest. They put themselves in harm’s way to care for the   distance posters were put up. We had a safety protocol in
                                                                   place if anyone became ill at work. The hardest part was
           rest of us. COVID has claimed hundreds of their lives. They   making sure everyone was informed so if anything happened,
                                                          1
           are frontline workers  —not doctors or nurses or first   supervisors and employees would know what to do.”
           responders—but the women and men who harvest, package,     Sno Pac Foods, a grower and producer of frozen,
           sell, and serve our food. Without them we would starve.  organic fruits and vegetables in Caledonia, Minn., had a
                                                                   similar experience. As a food business, cleaning and hair/face
                                                                   coverings were nothing new, but distancing employees and
           Hands that feed us                                      limiting customer access was.
                                                                      “We kept everyone [in packaging and processing]
                                                                   separate,” says Pete Gengler, who co-owns Sno Pac with his
           Like so many industries, COVID-19 has affected every aspect   brother Nick. Between the 3,000 acre farm and the processing
           of the food supply chain: from expanded safety protocols to   and packaging areas, they employ 50 hard-working individuals.
           increased sales for some farms to restaurants pivoting just to   “Customers weren’t allowed into the building. We also did a
           stay afloat. For CTL Foods, Inc., maker of Soda Fountain®
           Malted Milk Powder in Colfax, Wisc., the pandemic brought
                                                                   1.
           extensive COVID procedures to keep workers safe.           As of August 14, 2020, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW),
                                                                   which represents 1.3 million workers, has confirmed the deaths of at least 113
              “Social distancing, face masks, sanitary wipes, hand   of its meatpacking members. In Congressional testimony on June 10, the UFCW
           sanitizer, forehead thermometers, even toilet paper became   estimated at least 225 of its total members have died of COVID-19. civileats.
           top priority,” says Linda Murch, Vice President at CTL.    com/2020/06/02/the-pandemic-isnt-easing-up-but-frontline-food-workers-are-
                                                                   already-losing-bonus-pay/#respond
            FEAST! Local Foods Magazine
         18 Image by Anastasia Gepp from Pixabay

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