By JULIE CUNNINGHAM

Photos provided by Diemand Farm

(Wendell, MA) Diemand Farm in Wendell isn’t fairing too poorly during the pandemic. Co-owner Anne Diemand Bucci and her daughter Tessa White-Diemand can’t keep up with the demand, a good problem to have these days.

“It’s crazy to think that a chicken farm would run out of chicken,” said White-Diemand.

The reality is Diemand Farm ran out of chicken and turkey at record speed. More chicken won’t be available until Monday, and turkey won’t be available until June. Diemand Bucci started harvesting Turkeys a month early in March this year, although at the time she didn’t know how the COVID-19 crisis would cause such a supply shortage at her farm.

“Things like this have never happened,” said White-Diemand.

Diemand Farm was founded in 1936, during the Great Depression, and has grown to 175 acres. During that time, the farm hasn’t experienced a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. To cope, there are strict rules for employees. White-Diemand said anyone who even has the slightest symptoms of COVID-19 has been asked to stay home. All surfaces in the small store are sanitized and cleaned regularly. Customers are provided with gloves, hand sanitizer, and hand wipes. Everyone on the farm wears homemade masks and gloves. But social distancing doesn’t stop there. Just three customers are allowed in the store at a time, and there is a six foot distance between the customer and the cashier at checkout.

“A lot more people are coming in,” said Diemand Bucci. White-Diemand compared the increase in demand to the Thanksgiving rush. Loyal, repeat customers are still coming back but Diemand Farm is also seeing an increase in new customers. Despite the uptick in business, White Diemand and her mother are still nervous, due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis. They did access the Paycheck Protection Plan loans available through the federal government.

”Even though we are doing ok, we could still use some help,” explained White-Diemand.

For more information regarding Diemand Farm visit the farm website at www.thediemandfarm.com or click

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