Now, maybe more than ever, we are all focusing on health, safety and cleanliness. That includes our food. People want to know all about it, including what producers, our farmers, are doing to ensure not only quality, but quantity -- what is being done to protect our food chain.

"Those that do have the ability to process milk or  those that sell meat off their farm directly, it's moving like crazy. I think that is absolutely something that is going to come out this," Adams farmer Devon Shelmidine said.

For New Yorkers, health and safety is currently paramount, but people also want to feel confident that the products they want will be there when they need it. If they can see and know that extra precautions are being practiced, that's the food they want to buy and put on their table.

Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Jefferson County handed out gallons of hand sanitizer and masks to local farmers  on Tuesday, which goes a long way in instilling that confidence that our local food chain will be safe and plentiful.

"They're taking care of animals and making sure their welfare is attended to and making sure the product, our food, just keeps rolling down the line," said Catherine Moore, CCE of Jefferson County agricultura issue leader.

Because when the line stops, shelves go empty.

"We've seen what's happened in some of the meat processing facilities where employees get sick," Moore said. "We are working to get ahead of that and not allowing that to happen on our North Country farms."

Moore said she's encouraged to see so many farmers, dairy, meat, vegetable, at this event and is hopeful it will not only help keep food on tables, but show people that buying local really does make a difference.

The distribution at CCE of Jefferson County in Watertown continues Wednesday, May 13 from 9 a.m. until noon and 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.  It will then happen again on Monday, May 18 and Tuesday, May 19 at the same times.