Holding onto God in a Crisis
Running a small business in the face of Covid-19 and Brexit
For the business community, 2020 was a time of extreme stress and challenge. VOX magazine talked with Alan and Valerie Kingston from Glenilen Farm to find out how they have coped.
(From the January - March 2021 issue of VOX)
A small family-run business, Glenilen farm in west Cork produces dairy products such as yoghurt and cheesecakes. The pandemic lockdowns had an immediate effect.
“Obviously food service went pear shaped; hotels and restaurants make up about 20% of our business. While the retail stores got really busy for a while, that still didn’t account for all we lost,” Alan said. “Overall as a business, we are grateful that we were able to keep going. We were classed as an essential business. Our thoughts are with those who had to close altogether. It is so tough on them and their staff.”
There was a knock on effect on sales within city-centre shops when people were working from home and no longer popping into stores for “ready-to-go” lunch items.
But behind all of this, Brexit loomed as a dark shadow on the horizon, especially for dairy producers. Speaking as the clock was counting down, Alan shared the concerns of many small businesses, “A lot is hanging in the balance. And a no deal scenario would be extremely worrying especially for famers who depend on 50% of cheddar sales going to the UK,” Alan explained.
Valerie described doing a dummy run for customs declarations for a consignment bound for the UK. There are genuine concerns (with products such as yoghurt) about the possibilities of delays at ferry ports and tariffs could add as much as 30 pence (sterling) to the price of a small pot of yoghurt.
“But we are Irish, we live in hope. We always live for tomorrow. And there is nothing we should be worried about when we trust and depend on God.”
“But we are Irish, we live in hope,” Alan grinned. “We always live for tomorrow. And there is nothing we should be worried about when we trust and depend on God.”
Looking for the good out of the crisis has helped them to keep going and to find new opportunities on their doorstep.
“We started a Neighbour Food collection point at the farm - serving as a host for eight to ten other local producers so people could purchase their products. It is a great way for people to support local producers and we’ve really seen a groundswell of support for Irish businesses and ‘shop local’ campaigns,” Alan added. (Check out www.neighbourfood.ie for this great initiative - Alan and Valerie’s farm is the Drimoleague centre).
“At present seven out of every ten yoghurts that are sold in our supermarkets are imported,” Valerie said. “This is an opportunity for people to look at alternative products that are produced in Ireland (look for the IRL label) and that would be very helpful for small Irish businesses.
“I just love that little verse, Come to me all you who are weary...” Alan told us. “There is a lot of weariness right now. I can see it in our own church fellowship and I’m sure for a lot more people. I just love that little invitation to come away with Him. It is possible to know peace and that God is still in in control. He knows what will happen next week even when we do not.”
