COLUMBUS, Ohio — Perhaps the most astonishing and deplorable news story since the start of this Covid-19 outbreak was that of consumers racing to stores at the crack of dawn and hoarding all the toilet paper they could find. Still hard to find in most grocery stores these days are cans of soup, hand sanitizer, paper towels,

On the flip side, though, there is plenty of milk, eggs, cheese and meat in those grocery stores.

 “Agriculture is the No. 1 industry in our state,” said David Morris, who tends to several thousand broilers with his father-in-law at their side-by-side farms near Bradford, Ohio. “The country is still starving for some essentials in life, I understand that, but the common staples in life like flour, oil, eggs or meat is readily available. While many across the nation are either slowing down or stopping, there is no stopping the farmer. They’re hard at work and will provide for the people.”

National Ag Week was March 22-28. National Ag Day was celebrated March 24, though both were overshadowed by the coronavirus, or covid-19.

“It’s our obligation to assure that the public continues to have a steady supply of wholesome and nutritious food, even during a public health crisis,” said Frank Burkett III, president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. “We know that families have seen shortages in some foods and products at grocery stores, but Ohioans can be confident that our farm community will do what is needed to help keep a steady supply of food available.”

Ohio has more than 77,800 farms, and agriculture provides one out of eight jobs in the state. Farm workers play a critical role in assuring a consistent food supply and are considered essential workers in Ohio, which means they have permission from the state and from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to go to work during the current Stay At Home order.

“We are firmly committed to caring for and supporting our teams, who are on the front line of this response,” said Jim Chakeres, executive vice president of the Ohio Poultry Association, which represents more than 600 egg, chicken and turkey farmers in the state.

Ohio is one of the largest egg farming states in the nation, producing 8.9 billion eggs each year. It ranks seventh nationally in pork production, ninth in turkey production and is in the top 20 for beef and chicken production. Ohio is the top Swiss cheese-producing state in the country.

“Ohio farmers are proud to help feed the nation, as they will continue to do so during these uncertain and unprecedented times,” said Elizabeth Harsh, executive vice president of the Ohio Beef Council. “Farmers will provide the same level of excellent animal care and will keep using sustainable farming practices to ensure safe, healthy foods.”

Organizations representing the state’s farmers have combined efforts with an ongoing and unrelenting commitment to help feed the nation each day, especially during these trying times. Other groups uniting in the drive to see that Ohioans are fed include the American Dairy Association Mideast, Ohio Pork Council, Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association and the Ohio Soybean Association.

“We have been through tough situations before, and we know that when we work together we survive and thrive,” said Chris Henney, president and CEO, Ohio AgriBusiness Association. “Ohio farmers are unwavering in their promise to work together to help ensure a plentiful supply of nourishing food.”