Couches, coffee, community. By design, Flying M’s three locations are cozy spots for anyone to enjoy, be it peaceful, private time with a cold brew or a high-energy excursion with 10 of your closest friends.

But when you’re living in a pandemic, that sense of community evaporates as fear, confusion, and caution take over.

“Flying M is the “second living room” for a lot of people, which we love. But that’s just not an option right now,” says Chloe Hanson, owner of the Nampa location.

Story by Courtnie Dawson

Pandemic Pre-Shift: Copper & Heat Podcast Launches New Season of Resources for Restaurant Industry Workers

When “Copper & Heat” launched, it was a passion project for Katy Osuna, a way to explore food culture outside her own career in fine-dining. Just one season in, the podcast received a prestigious James Beard Award, and subsequently garnered the attention of industry professionals, foodies, social activists, and more.

“It was a real honor, not what I was expecting for our first season,” says Katy, the show’s co-creator and host. “But this honor comes with a lot of other thoughts and questions.”

Story by Courtnie Dawson

Earlier this month the Funky Taco had completely shut down. No delivery food orders, no music, no Justin and Sherry Archambo, who had started the concept years ago as a food truck. One of their employees had gotten seriously ill, and they had planned to keep closed all the way up until February.

“It was better for us to cut the cord and be like, OK, we've had one COVID case, he was pretty sick and it freaked us out.” said Justin rationalizing the move, “And we're like, what's it worth? You know, I've got a family, my Sous Chef has a family.” They’ve since opened, but that hasn’t stopped them from being cautious.

Story by Gustavo Sagrero

For Michelle Russell, founder of the plant-based foods company The Kula Connection, mushrooms aren’t just tasty pizza toppings — they’re miracles.

“I had a traumatic brain injury, and I learned that by eating Lion’s Mane — a mushroom that’s delicious — I could help to heal my brain, and maybe regain a little balance and bring back some of the neurological pathways that had been damaged and were affecting my memories,” she said. “How could I not become crazy passionate about a food that could do that for me?”

Story by Lex Nelson

When Jake Black first conceptualized Lost Grove Brewing, he wasn’t thinking of B Corporation certification. Sure, he wanted to create a business that was environmentally sustainable; and yes, he wanted to use the brewery as a way to give back to the Boise community; and of course, he wanted to prioritize a positive work environment for his employees--but these were all just ideals, nothing that had been adapted to any structure or planning. Luckily for Jake (and the whole world, really), a lot of people wanted the same good things for their business, and have come together to form a network under the B Corporation certification.

Story by Courtnie Dawson

In Meridian, Idaho, the Christmas spirit arrived early — three weeks before Thanksgiving to be exact. That’s when Cecyle Brock, owner of local coffee shop/restaurant Deja Brew Laugh a Latte, took to social media to spread that word that her team would give away free, pre-made meals to anyone who needed food on Thanksgiving.

“At first our target audience was anyone within five miles of the restaurant here, but we actually delivered clear into downtown Boise.”

Story by Lex Nelson

Starting over the summer of 2020, the Farmworkers of Southern Idaho Instagram page began posting stories of the migrant workers that labor in the shadow of the agriculture industry of the state.

Organized by a mix of local educators, recent graduates, and former and current farmhands, many of them take the time out of their own lives to cover the stories that aren’t often heard.

“It’s really about recognizing people who are feeding this country... “ said Alejandra Hernandez, one of the first few people to organize the page, “...supporting them, passing the mic”.

Story by Gustavo Sagrero

As gardener Patsy Kelley tells it, the early days of the McCall Farmers Market in the 1990s were humble ones. She and a few other vendors would drive to a parking lot off Pine Street in downtown McCall, pop their trunks, and sell produce straight to locals and tourists passing by on foot.

“I think there were four of us selling out of the trunks of our vehicles. Actually, I had a van — I opened the slider door,” said Kelley, who sells fresh produce under the name High Country Gardens.

Story by Lex Nelson

Right across the street from Boise’s City Hall, Josh Davis and his Bodega had a front seat to the turmoil that began in the spring and unraveled over the summer. Barely stepping into their third year of business, JD’s Bodega had high hopes of a good year. Treefort Music Festival was around the corner and they had starting building their clientele over the past few years. As the pandemic spread these hopes soured and then continuously tossed about in the waves made in the summer and fall.

Story and Photography by Gustavo Sagrero

The quintessential Beatles song lyric, “I get by with a little help from my friends” could easily be the pandemic motto of Ketchum, Idaho, health food store NourishMe. When the coronavirus arrived in the mountain town this spring, NourishMe started hiring.

“We had to increase labor while not increasing profit. For example our soup counter could not be self-serve any more. This meant an extra employee was hired to serve customers,” store owner Julie Johnson wrote in an email.

Story by Lex Nelson

The giant turkey companies Butterball and Hormel Foods sell over 40 million Thanksgiving turkeys each year according to the New York Times, but they aren’t your only options for Thanksgiving. As conglomerates wrestle with COVID-19 supply chain challenges and projected demand for smaller birds, local producers have stepped in to bridge the gap.

Story by Lex Nelson

Orient Market sits unassumingly at the edge of this hub, clad in stucco, next to a Greek market and sandwich shop.

But behind the unusually sparse green shelves, the fluorescent lights, and stacks of quality rice, Tu has built something more important than just what exists within the four walls on this spot. Tu is a crucial source for many Boise restaurants for specialty items that can’t be found anywhere else.

Story by Gustavo Sagrero

“We have had to get creative with ways to keep engaging customers even if they aren't physically in our space. That has been fun, and I think it will make us a more well-rounded business and more accessible to more people in the future,” Pettis explained, adding, “Folks have been so supportive and we couldn't be more grateful to them.”

Story by Lex Nelson

Manzo could barely get out of bed. As a program manager for Global Gardens, his small administrative team, as well as the group of independent farmers (mostly underserved people, including refugees), depended on him. Things were already looking like a challenge this coming season, and all of that that was before Manzo caught COVID-19.

Story by Gustavo Sagrero

Baker Ron Ames, and his wife Mary of Black Kettle Catering have been here since the beginning. Born in Idaho, Ron has lived through the transitional period that turned Boise from the sleepy town it once was, to the current bustling city that it is today.

Story by Gustavo Sagrero

On Sept. 23, the Boise Farmers Market (BFM) was named the Most Essential Farmers Market in the Pacific Region and the 3rd Most Essential Farmers Market in the nation by American Farmland Trust. It was up to market goers to vote BFM into the top spot, and they delivered — even up against places like Portland and Los Angeles.

Story by Lex Nelson