Like many other businesses, the country's network of farmers' markets closed with little warning two months ago. More importantly, in the case of stall-holders, there were no plans to deal with the food sold at the markets.
Cows kept producing organic milk, hens kept laying free range eggs, farmers continued producing organic pork and bacon and to harvest ripening fruit and vegetables.
So, what's been happening down on the farm? Dan Ahern and his wife Anne have farmed organically at Ballysimon near Midleton in east Cork for more than 20 years.
They have four adult children and, they say, organic farming has provided well for the family, whereas Dan would have had to take an off-farm job to supplement their farm income if they weren't