Farmer's Markets and Food Chains

30"x15" Acrylic on canvas. During the isolation imposed by Covid-19, I found myself drawn to painting animals and farms while the world tried to figure out if the virus was zoonotic in origin. The disruption of the food supply chain caused by the virus left us to ponder important questions. Food security, farming practices, world distribution chains all became forefront issues all over the planet as shortages became a reality. On a local level, questions such as the one posed in the Salt Spring Island Exchange started being asked. "What if Salt Spring Market was geared to Saltspringers and a food market didn't need to be a tourist attraction because every community had at least one" 05/20/20. This painting is from a 2019 photo I took of the Bullock Lake Farm stand before the market was shut down on March 16, 2020 due to the restrictions preventing a gathering of more then 50 people. The food vendors months later were granted essential service status and under the new restrictions, chose to open on Tuesdays rather then Saturdays to cater more to the locals rather then providing a tourist attraction.