In March, the COVID-19 pandemic-affected industries (including the ag industy), businesses and millions of people across the U.S. As fear and panic shopping set in among consumers with the uncertainty of the duration of the virus and social distancing and stay-at-home orders in place across multiples states, the food supply chain was beginning to shake with demand for food exceeding supply.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include additional information. The novel coronavirus, recently renamed COVID-19, has now been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. A pandemic is defined as an epidemic that has spread to multiple countries and continents.

This article is part four in a five-part series. Be sure to read the final installment “When time for termination comes” in the upcoming April issue. Managers and employees often dread the annual process of reviewing employee performance.