that would have imposed stricter regulations on the breeding and transporting of mink during the coronavirus pandemic.
Thurston said in an interview that he wasn’t aware of any efforts to restrict mink farming in Utah since the coronavirus pandemic began, though there has been proposed legislation that would affect farmers in the past.“I’m a huge supporter of agriculture and recognize that it’s tough,” he said. “A lot of mink farmers are family farms. There’s a lot of corporate agriculture out there, but that’s not the mink industry.
Members of Congress are aware of animal welfare problems associated with fur farming, he said. “But the real urgency is the threat to public health. And I think all of these members of Congress have a very real and sincerely held desire to not allow these operations to jeopardize our efforts to try and contain the coronavirus.”
At the beginning of the pandemic, Nelson had worried that he “wouldn’t be able to operate for two straight years without receiving pretty substantial cash flow from the sale” of mink. ”We worried about how we were going to move mink, if there was going to be enough confidence for buyers to buy mink online, he said. His farm received a grant of nearly $55,000 from the state to help it continue operating. And now, Nelson said, he’s finally feeling “optimistic.
Some auction houses have opened to allow buyers to inspect pelts in person, which has helped with sales. And the industry, which is still holding auctions online, has become more comfortable pivoting to an online marketplace.