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Ohio farmer is hopeful it remains business as usual on the farm

West Central Ohio Farmer Patty Mann says there haven’t been supply disruptions so far on her farm. But, Mann says they did take early delivery of chemicals for the year because the supplier was worried the coronavirus pandemic could impact future delivery.

“We did take delivery of all those last week and have them all stored safely in our shop because they need to be in a heated building,” she says. “The next thing is our seed, and I think that is all close by in a nearby warehouse. We haven’t taken any on the farm yet, but we plan to take as much as we can this week.”

She says their fertilizer is also in a nearby warehouse and will be available for the growing season.  

Mann says her biggest concern is that her team stays healthy.

“We’ve focused heavily on cross-training here in the last couple of years, but my husband still plants a majority of the corn so if he were to get sick it could be a little bit of an issue,” she says. “We could still get it done, but maybe not as efficiently.”

She says they’re aiming to begin planting by mid-April.

Mann is president of the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association. She grows corn and soybeans in Shelby County.