Calamity generally does not create new trends; it simply clarifies or accelerates current trajectories.  With that in mind, here are things we're seeing at Polyface that are interesting.

 1.  People buying laying hens for backyard flocks.  All of a sudden we've had an explosion of purchases in the 3-6 bird range for home flocks.  This signals renewed interest in self reliant food production.  If the chickens eat your kitchen scraps, dropping their purchased feed needs by half, at 2 oz. per day a 50-lb. bag of GMO-free chicken feed can last a long time.

 2.  Seeds sales are through the roof.  If you go on some of the more home gardener oriented seed company web sites right now, you'll see them temporarily closed.  These outfits literally had to shut down for a few days to catch up on filling seed orders.  That means we're going to see an explosion of home gardens this spring.

 3.  Home improvement projects.  Have you been to Lowe's lately?  You'd wonder what all the excitement is about.  The place is packed like we've never seen.  It signals a massive uptick in home improvement projects.  Some will be solariums and garden beds, cold frames and rain barrels.  Even stuffing in more insulation is helpful for long-term energy savings.

 4.  Home cooking.  As people congregate in their homes, inevitably the kitchen becomes a new rallying point.  People trying recipes and some of their seldom-used gadgets is a wonderful development.  The only way you can have an authentic food system is to have a participatory populace.

 5.  Stockpiling.  It's not all toilet paper.   People do not want to be caught flatfooted again.  They're laying by and filling pantries.  Several years ago we began a larder program, positioning ourselves as the "larder coach" and explained the concept of larder to a new generation unfamiliar with the word.  Keeping a month or two of food supplies in your home is more important than stashing cash.

 6.  Humility.  Most of society has been drunk on hubris for a long time.  With computers and smart phones we've decided we're above biology; we've conquered nature and cheated historical normalcy.  We don't need animals for protein.  We don't need organic matter in the soil.  We don't need regional self-reliance.  Suddenly, this pandemic shocks us back into reality.  Nature does indeed have a balance sheet.  We don't have it all figured out.  Life isn't just a glorified video game.  Oops; maybe life is bigger than us.

 7.  Health.  Look at the sudden proliferation of articles about health.  The most significant determinant of coronavirus damage is overall health in our bodies.  Seeking that hopefully will put McDonald's and Coca-Cola out of business.  And it might put houses of worship and deep conversations back in business.

 8.  Homecentricity.  For too long the core family and the home has been treated like a pit stop between the important things of life.  We're finding we can work from home.  We can school at home.  We can play games at home.  We can laugh at home.  We can do things together.  Making home the launch pad and operation central rather than the most expendable part of life is a great trend.

 What trends do you see?