“COVID Money”
Written By Miles Klind
Today, COVID-19 continues to threaten public health, forcing business and social structures to change drastically. The conversation regarding public safety seems more politically charged than ever, leaving each state’s legislature to determine how to deal with the ongoing challenges. Some states are being more cautious than others.
Scott Ethington is a commercial swine rancher in Emmett, Idaho. On top of raising pigs, he also grows corn and owns and operates The Haunted World. The Halloween-themed attraction is a haunted house and corn maze every October in Caldwell, Idaho. The event is anticipated and attended by children and adults all over the state.
As an agricultural businessman and showman, Mr. Ethington was nervous about how his livelihood would be affected by COVID-19. Inflation, which he blames on “COVID money,” has caused his operating costs to skyrocket.
This “COVID money” referred not only to the individual stimulus checks but also significant amounts of farm subsites that were distributed nationwide. Mr. Ethington initially refused the subsite payment. It wasn’t until four months later that he reluctantly took the funds at the recommendation of an accountant. The funds would be utilized to offset his spiked operating costs.
Scott Ethington’s approach towards sustainable, ethical ranching has only magnified these costs. Mr. Ethington goes above and beyond his fellow ranchers regarding his involvement in the growing process. He makes his fertilizer from scratch, creating a product that beats out FDA standards for organic qualification. With this fertilizer, Mr. Ethington grows roughly 215 acres of corn. He sells some and processes the rest into high-quality, nutritionally rich feed for the pigs he breeds.
Urea is a common ingredient in his natural fertilizer. Last year Mr. Ethington purchased a ton of Urea for 420 dollars. He said that this year that same ton costs over 1,200 dollars. The same price increase can be seen in diesel fuel, which his farm operation uses over 6,000 gallons a year.
All of this led to a sense of relief when Mr. Ethington learned that his businesses were not required to change operating procedures.
Under Southwest District Heath’s “Recommended Guidance for Businesses,” published in 2019, all guidelines were merely recommendations. “There were zero mandates in the state of Idaho… no masks,” said Mr. Ethington. “It was awesome.” He said that the event felt like a reminder of life before the disease.
This sentiment was felt throughout much of Idaho. Mr. Ethington recalled talking with other local farmers and ranchers about how the rest of the world was on hold while they trudged on.
“No matter what the economy… no matter the state of the world, the Earth is always making its way around the Sun,” Scott Ethington said. “When it hits Spring, a farmer is going to plant his crop.”
The disease was still at the forefront of his mind. Mr. Ethington said that sickness rates for the farm and The Haunted World were significantly fewer than in past years. They did not have a single reported case of the Corona Virus throughout his operation.
The rest of the state has not been so lucky. According to the CDC, in Idaho, the total number of deaths involving COVID19 equaled roughly 1,541 in 2020. Now, this figure has risen to over 4,238.
Still, Idaho has been slow to hop on board with CDC guidelines. On March 7, 2021, the Washington Post covered a demonstration that took place the day before on the step of the Idaho State Capitol in Boise. During the protest, journalists snapped pictures of children spanning all ages being encouraged to burn their masks.
Idaho’s response to COVID-19 regulations encapsulates the polarized attitudes associated with the pandemic across the United States. Idaho Gov. Brad Little has refused to implement statewide mask requirements. As new variants of the Corona Virus continue to arise, states across the U.S. will have to evaluate how to protect the public.
