Dear Friends,

 

During the outbreak, some people need vegetables. We grow them, just 8 miles from downtown Winchester.

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During the outbreak, some people would like hamburger from beef raised on pasture in Clark County, without antibiotics or growth hormones. We also have this, just 8 miles away.

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During the outbreak, some people need eggs. Our 20 hens are laying their hearts out, and we are making these eggs available for sale to our community.

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During the outbreak, some people need bread. Not only do we raise and mill some of the wheat for our bread (the rest comes from Weisenberger Mill in Midway) but we bake it in a certified kitchen, right in downtown Winchester.

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During the outbreak, some people want hemp CBD. We raise the hemp organically here, and sell Homestead Alternative hemp oil, hemp chocolate, hemp caramels, hemp lotion, and even hemp dog biscuits…at our store in downtown Winchester.

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During the outbreak, some people could use a good stiff drink. We grow the corn here, and make moonshine 8 miles away, in downtown Winchester.

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This morning, I found myself on the phone with a writer from New York.

“You are not taking this seriously,” he said.

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I begged to differ, and in the end, after I’d I described our process, he seemed on board. But he instructed me to do a better job of explaining what we are doing. A person on our facebook page basically showed I needed to do better, too, so I’m trying.

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No, Covid 19 is not a food borne illness. It is transmitted by people.  Got that.

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Our entire supply chain for fresh vegetables, eggs and whiskey contains eight people. I watch them like a hawk, and we are taking temperatures regularly. Is there still risk? Sure there is, but it is much minimized.

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Most food supply chains involved thousands of people. I just finished reading an article (From NPR, not some click-bait publication) about California farmers anticipating the fallout if farmworkers become ill.  “Covid-19 Threatens Food Supply Chain as Farms Worry About Workers Falling Ill.” And it goes from there…from industrial farms to distribution centers, truckers, stocking clerks.

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We are eight miles, eight people.

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We’ve closed the farm to visitors during the outbreak.

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Once our products are at Wildcat Willy’s, we have moved our licensed retail market to the front of the building, facing out the garage door. At this market, we are stocking farm products, CBD, bread and moonshine.

 

Right now, our kitchen is closed.

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Our patrons can order by text (Zach’s number is (859)-749-3566) or email (zach@moonshinetrail.com). They can pull up to the garage door and shout. If they come in, they maintain their distance. We’ll bring their order to the curb.

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I just did a town run -- to the post office, the bank, the grocery and the cleaners. To my mind, the riskiest part of the day was the use of the credit card machine. Zach has been busy finding a solution.

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So Wildcat Willy’s store will be open Tuesday, March 24th. I’ll be there for much of the day, and Zach, Wildcat Willy and I look forward to seeing you.

Laura Freeman,

Co-Owner, Wildcat Willy's Distillery