#stillfarming:Rynearson

Payette--Through the COVID-19 crisis, Idaho farmers like Howard Rynearson of Payette is still farming. He says that farming continues through trying times because the nation needs food production.

"My name is Howard Rynearson, I reside here in Payette County and we farm a few hundred acres of alfalfa. We, I say we, myself and my son do the farming here. At the same time, I'm also the distributor of a natural fertilizer a company called Phase II and we sell a lot of that, its a liquid fertilizer. So I'm quite busy with that my son does a lot of our farming," said Rynearson.

How have you handled the COVID-19 situation?

"This shutdown of the economy, the phases that we are going through. We started back up, we have never really stopped from day one. That's what's been different out here in rural America. Farming doesn't let you stop like that. We have issues that we have to address and I think every farmer has been in that category. I have been on lots of farms this spring with my fertilizer business, every farmer is out on the farm working and spending the same amount of hours that he has the previous years. We don't get shut down. The crops don't stop growing, they have to get planted. So if we don't do that where would this country be as far as the continuation of food, nationwide, through the country? We'd be in big trouble if we didn't have farms and if they were not producing," said Rynearson.

Is this the best or worst of times?

"These times are, as they say on television and the broadcasts, they're unprecedented. Yes, they are! However, we are going to get through it. We are going to come back right to where we were at square one and keep on moving. This is a great country and farming is a great industry, it's the backbone of our country. I'm Howard Rynerson. I'm still farming and proud to be part of the Farm Bureau organization," said Rynearson.