CoViD 19 Summary

Carefully and cautiously, people are fumbling their way back into routine, which will hopefully be the post CoViD 19 routine. This is a different, hesitant, somewhat pessimistic routine – given the many warnings regarding a second wave that might be, in addition to the economy that was significantly disturbed. 

But for now, people are coming out of the houses, going to shops, buying delicious foods to take home and other things that make them happy. It seems to me that they are doing it a little more attentively, perhaps reflecting on the whole situation – but maybe it's just me. We are not at the end of virus-vs-humanity war. We're not even at the end of a battle, although it sounds that we are in much of the media.

The viruses and bacteria around us are invast numbers, they have been here so many years before us, it may be appropriate to be more modestand considers ourselves as guests in their world, despite all the science we behold. There may indeed be a day that we will figure out the conundrum of immortality and we will survive any virus or bacterium, but for now –what we can do is simply eat well, sleep enough, smile, spend time with our loved ones and engage in the things that matter to us most, because eventually we will have to clear the stage.

We, too, in the store and in the garden, felt the shock waves the Corona virus brought with it. The worry, the uncertainty, the confusion. At first, the number of people coming to the store reduced, and so did the number of orders.

We sat with the team in the store looking out, as if trying to predict what will come next. As we started to hear about an expected closure, getting sooner and sooner, more shoppers arrived at the store in an attempt to prepare and fill the house with good food (remember the egg shortage?), buying more dry goods – because you never know what will happen and how long it will last.

Some wearing a mask, some in gloves. We received a lot of phone requests to deliver our produce to customers’ homes – and made an effort to reach everyone. In return, we received a lot of love, support and concern and honest inquiries regarding our own well-being and how we are getting along.

Then came the closure. Outside in naturethe spring was at its peak, yet, the streets looked like one long Yom Kippur. Or, as my friend said after two weeks into the "Corona Period" – "rather than reporting every morning how many new cases we have, they better make sure we know which day it is, because otherwise it is one longshabat."

Our hearts went out to the various farmers who posted messages about their produce going to waste, entire fields and plots they have stopped irrigating and won’t even attempt to harvest what they had worked on all season long – because there are no buyers.

All those who eagerly awaited the spring, the holiday season, guests in hotels and tourists in Israel buying our country’s finest goods, were all disappointed and hit twice. Once for the fruits and vegetables that went to waste because no one bought it and second for the following season of planting and sowing, which begins right now, and it is unclear what and how much to sow. We can't wait for it for things to be clear because the fields and the trees and the vegetables and the summer aren't waiting.

Another good thing that came out of this is the people who bought local, and fresh, and were acquinted with the people who grew their food. It is so important!

In the meantime – the first fruits of summerthat are starting to arrive help usstay optimistic. We have basil to add to an awesomecherry tomato salad, and we have round and chubby watermelons as well as delicious pears.

The tomatoes and cucumbers you find in the store are of a different type than you typically see in the winter (but we cannot know how long they will be available, so be sure to taste while they are here). We expect soon a steady stream of nectarinesand peaches (remember the pita-peach?) and cherries, too!

Yours,