On Saturday, May 9 Idaho Matters and the Mountain West News Bureau helped produce a national call-in show in collaboration with America Amplified as part of the series "Life, Community and COVID-19." Listen to the full show here:
In the first part of the show, Idaho Matters host Gemma Gaudette of Boise State Public Radio and Charity Nebbe of Iowa Public Radiotake an inside look at the pandemic’s impact on our food system. For instance, what to do with all the pigs that can't be processed while plants are closed? We take a look at the work environment like inside processing plants, and survey the landscape of dariy and crop farming during a pandemic. As the country moves toward a post-shutdown life, what changes should farmers and producers make? And what should consumers be prepared for?
And in the second half of the show, hosts Gaudette and Nebbe explore mental health during the pandemic. In rural and already vulnerable regions of the country, mental health issues are challenging an already stressed health care system — but also creating new coping techniques. We look at how mental health professionals are helping those dealing with loniness, anxiety, depression and more during the coronavirus.
