Eastern Iowa Farmer Fall 2021

a big year
Eastern Iowa Farmer photo / Trevis Mayfield
Canning jars and lids were almost impossible to come by for gardeners hoping to preserve their harvests
in 2020. A paint shortage – particularly the color red – was an issue that began in the summer.
expected to increase in volume. Merchants
are taking the lessons they learned during the
past year and a half and are looking ahead.
“I’m spending a lot of time behind the desk,
figuring out how to get around that. I’m on
the phone tracking things down,” Kueter said.
“I’ve increased my suppliers. I’m always
asking myself, ‘If I can’t get this, then what’s
a good replacement that’s reasonably close?’”
Vendors also have been limiting the number
of boxes or how many of a particular item
they’ll ship to stores at a time, so when merchandise
does come in, Kueter moves quickly
to order the next shipment.
While empty shelves were a frustration to
store owners and consumers alike in Eastern
Iowa and beyond, they’ve learned to creatively
address issues caused by a disrupted supply
chain.
John Noonan, who handles purchasing and
marketing for the retail division of Cascade
Lumber in Cascade, said that while he has
“It’s historic. I don’t
know what hasn’t
been touched by
workforce issues.
The supply chain
was another issue.
The pandemic really
forced us to look at
what we’ve done and
what we’re going to
do in the future.”
— john noonan
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