BARNEVELD, Wisc., (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Jeremy Amble knows how difficult farming can be. The Barneveld, Wisconsin man grew up on a dairy farm.

He's seen how the coronavirus has been hurting farmers — things like drastic highs and lows in price points, supply chain problems leading to product waste — but he also knows farmers are no stranger to difficult times.

“Well farmers have been struggling; it's been a rocky boat jumping up and down. It's not just a pandemic thing. It's something that is always a struggle for farmers,” Amble says. “It's the way life is and it's unfortunate.”

Amble runs a small side-business of making t-shirts. He decided to make ones that say, "They Farm so We Can Eat" and "Essential 365," to support farmers, both in the words on the shirt and with the sales. He is donating a gallon of milk per sale to his local food bank.

“Helps the food pantry, gives awareness to farmers and helps out my little small shirt making business kind of all in the same little boat there,” Amble says.

So far he has sold 83 shirts online. 

Amble once wanted to own a dairy farm. A car accident when he was 21 changed that. It paralyzed him, keeping him from helping with farm chores and limiting his ability to run his own operation.

“It was very hard to watch my father doing the fieldwork and the crops and all that stuff and not being able to help, not being able to be involved the way I was used to,” Amble says.

Amble helped by running the books and meeting with consultants. Eventually, the farm outgrew him and needed a full-fledged accountant. Amble also was married, having kids and ready to move on.

“Kind of turned towards how I can be the most for them being in a wheelchair, and what I can try to learn to do and be part of raising them as much physically and what I could do,” Amble says.

Amble now runs the Barneveld Shopper — a community newspaper and bulletin. He always enjoys art and design, and developed graphic design capabilities through his work with the Barneveld Shopper.

Designing the shirts was a natural way for him to help out during the pandemic.

“Do what you can to help out,” Amble said. “Just remember where your food comes from and if you can get it local it's the best.”