Items

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  2022-08-22

  Sensory Roadblock: Unexpected Detriments and Benefits of Mask-wearing in Gathering Food and Information

  During the pandemic, I opted to order all of my groceries online to be delivered. I have never been much of a take-out person and mostly cook at home, so I really love to pick my ingredients when grocery shopping. Missing the in-store grocery shopping experience over the past few years, I sometimes go out to gather my fresh foods, especially after the normalizing of social distancing and mask regulations. Though I still prefer to wear a mask, even when regulations are occasionally loosened, a sensory occurrence that I did not expect to miss or lack as a consequence of mask-wearing is the importance of smell in my food-gathering habits. Being able to check the ingredients for both flavor and freshness qualities by smelling them is such a natural instinct that most lifeforms use to find their food. I never considered myself someone who actively smells things very often, so this sensory roadblock surprised me, as I initially chose to go to the store to get better foods than those that had been delivered to me. I have often come home and found that the asparagus or meat that I had just bought had that unpleasant odor of food past its prime, even though its appearance and texture seemed just perfect. I also miss being able to smell the full intensity of the fresh-cut flower bouquets that proclaim the seasons when going out grocery shopping. This temporary lessening of sense-of-smell from wearing a mask has been a bit of a hinderance in such ways, but it has been beneficial in many others. For example, I have dust allergies and used to become very stuffy after visiting my library due to the book dust—especially since, as a history and art history graduate student, all the books that I want or need to check out are usually the oldest or dustiest ones! Not being able to smell or breathe-in these things has helped me dramatically in my experience of information gathering. I can now spend hours looking over books that I wouldn’t have thought of opening before and have found some wonderful sources for my research. Though of course many historical texts are fully available in online formats and an invaluable resource, I often feel the same way about visiting my library as I do visiting my grocery store—I hope to find something myself that might work even better for my own project, either culinarily or academically.
• 2020-02-05

  Pandemic Brand Reviews: Sprouts Farmer's Market Grocery

  There is a Sprout's less than 2 miles away from my house. My parents would often go to buy fresh produce and snacks from the bulk section. Due to the pandemic, Sprout's no longer offers their self serve bulk section. Instead, there are prefilled bags. My parents no longer frequent Sprout's, I think because of this new policy, or perhaps better prices elsewhere. Because my close friend works at Sprout's, I visit her at work. With the exception of the bulk section, everything is still the same. However, I do see the curbside pickup and grocery delivery options being used more. My local Sprouts has designated some parking spots for curbside pickup. One time when I was visiting my friend, she was on Instacart (grocery delivery) shopping duty that day. I walked around with her around the store as she picked up the items that the customer requested. She had to be very quick and find the items immediately. Not only that, but if the phone beeped, she had to drop everything she was doing to deliver a curbside order. Being an essential worker in customer service is very hard work. I hope that people can acknowledge and appreciate their hustle.
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  12/01/2020

  Scott Campbell Oral History, 2020/12/01

  Scott Campbell was born in Panama to military parents. He and his family moved to Colorado when he was young, living close to his father's family, where his interest in a sort of do-it-yourself lifestyle was awakened. After high school, he moved to central Alabama, working several retail jobs before landing his job at FIS Financial Solutions. After buying his own property, he began gardening and doing a bit of homesteading on his own in Alabama. Scott now spends his days editing financial programs and his down time taking care of various projects and plants around his home.
• 2020-07-03T11:54

  COVID-19 in My Small Suburban Town of West Chester, Pennsylvania

  In my small suburban town of West Chester, Pennslyvania, the effects of COVID-19 were abundantly evident. People of all ages were impacted in significant ways. High school graduates were forced to stay home under Governor Wolfe's stay at home advisory during a time sacred to spending time with peers before college takes us our ways. The elderly worried about the safety of doing basic tasks like grocery shopping, most likely contemplating if this basic need will be an ill-made or possibly fatal decision. Another major event to be noted was the shortages of food and other necessities in the supply chain. This was a real wake-up call for many families in my town. Anxiety and panic definitely could be seen in everyday homes. I recall my one friend racing to Costco after hearing a small supply of toilet paper was in stock. He ended up spending a couple of thousand dollars, filling five carts to the brim with essentials. The sight of many bare shelves triggered this spontaneous decision to hoard. Many families acted similarly in my area, believing that the only option was to prepare to outlast a complete shutdown. While many businesses were forced to shut down, a local dairy farm called Bailey's Farm took advantage of the situation. It proposed a unique solution to the food shortage. Bailey's Farm began to increase its food output by collaborating with local farms across West Chester and Kennett Square. This agreement lessened competition among farms, allowing farms to focus on producing goods that they are most efficient at producing. Bernards Orchard grew a variety of fruits. Baileys Farm increased its milk and cheese production by adding more cows to their grassland. Northbrooke farms sold local pies, bread, pastries, and their famous apple cider donuts. Many other farms contributed to this network; however, these were the farms that I primarily worked with. These farms began to deliver goods to the doorstep of families. This solution relieved families from worrying about contracting COVID-19 in grocery stores, running out of food during a shortage, and simultaneously supported local farms. At the beginning of summer, I had hours of free time; I was advised to stay home and limit interactions with my friends. To utilize my time wisely, I began to look for work to have savings for college. Jobs were scarce because of the many closed businesses. I was beyond grateful when Bailey's Farm reached out and hired me as their new milkman to drive their refrigerated truck. Yes, I occupied the small niche of a milkman during a Global Pandemic.
• 
  2020-05-25

  Ottawa Farmers' Market to reopen with click and collect system

  Developing 'a new normal' and allowing for the fresh summer produce so many want, the local farmer's market reopens using technology to reduce contact. However, when discussing this around the kitchen table, it was pointed out this does not fill the desire to pick the specific produce you want from a bunch spread out in front of you; it allows the vendors to decide which apples or lettuce you get regardless of its quality.
• 
  2020-04-03

  People encouraged to sign up for CSA

  People are being encouraged to sign up for CSA (community supported agriculture) to support local farmers and eat healthy during the pandemic. People stocked up at the grocery store when the pandemic started so it became harder for people to buy certain items. Those who lost jobs have been struggling even more to be able to afford food. #NortheasternJOTPY
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  2020-03-19

  Empty banana shelf at Target.

  This is an empty banana shelf at a Target in Pflugerville TX. People did not only hoard Toilet paper and handsanitizer, they also bought many fresh fruits and vegetables. Most of the bins in this produce section were empty as well. I don't know how people are going to keep all of the produce from spoiling before they eat it. Also in this Target, most of the refrigerators and freezers that held prepackaged meals or TV dinners were completely empty.