CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Large scale quarantines, travel restrictions and social-distancing are causing a sharp drop in business and consumer spending. As farmers markets, auctions, CSA’s and other agricultural sale venues face restrictions related to the COVID-19 virus, we are absolutely seeing a shift in the way people are purchasing produce, fruit, meat, eggs, milk and other value-added products.
I attended an online webinar earlier this week and a representative of BARN2DOOR, an online marketing system for producers, made this statement, “Our online food sales have increased 10X in the last two weeks. 90% of consumers want online sales.”
Bottom line, if you are not visible online, you are losing business and money every day. Consumers, if you’re not digging into this local food movement, then you need to be!
Right now, we are all going through the same feelings of uncertainty, concerned with news we are receiving not knowing what is true and what is not.
• Have you thought about your own healthy diet? Are you eating fruits and vegetables?
• How are you taking care of yourself? Think back to what the steward on a plane tells you to do in case of emergency. Put on your own mask first, because you can’t help others if you do not put into action “self-care” for yourself.
• Everyone needs to stay healthy as possible and local foods are healthier because they are grown right here, not shipped from 5000 miles away.
• Diversify your pallet to what is available seasonally here in TN and close by states, and not rely so much on imported foods.
Farmers, it’s the time to take that jump into the online world if you haven’t already. Increase your business reach by creating, improving or joining online marketing/ordering systems. Our farmers are out there working to provide foods to all citizens. Times are hard, but this can also be seen as an opportunity for local growers. Consumers, I highly encourage you to seek local sources to purchase your in-season produce, fruit, meat, egg, milk and other value-added products.
Farm labor is another issue to contend with. Dr. Annette Wszelaki, Dr. Amy Fulcher, Mannie Bedwell, Ty Petty, Dr. Andy Bailey, and Renea Johnson (CFO Jones & Church Farm, LLC), and have developed a fact sheet entitled “Updates on the H-2A program in the midst of COVID-19.”
This publication aims to respond to some question’s farmers using H-2A workers may have given the recent headlines regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the H-2A program. Keep in mind that information is changing rapidly in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, and therefore, we will try to provide updates on the H-2A program when appropriate. This publication can be downloaded here
The following are links to several online marketplaces that I am currently aware of:
The Nashville Food Project:
https://www.thenashvillefoodproject.org/where-to-get-growing-together-produce
Nashville Grown (Food Hub): http://www.nashvillegrown.org/
Barn2Door: https://www.barn2door.com/
Food 4 All: https://www.food4all.com/
HARVIE: https://www.harvie.farm/
The Food Initiative: https://www.thefoodinitiative.org
Local Harvest: https://www.localharvest.org/csa/
How can consumers find local farmers? Make sure that your farm is listed on the Pick TN Products under the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Visit the site and submit the form. TDA will post it on this site for free.
Are you a farmer veteran? Check out the Homegrown by Hero’s label to use on your products. Consumers can go to the same site and search for seasonal produce and other products in their communities.
Spring is the time for cool season vegetables to be available to consumers. Some examples of what you might receive are: lettuce, carrots, fennel, kale, cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, turnips, radishes, leeks, various herbs and other greens like collards, turnips greens and mustards.
Fresh food without having to go to the store! Now you’re probably wondering what to do with all that fresh produce if you can’t eat it all before it goes bad. If it does go bad, feed it to your chickens or compost so that good stuff doesn’t just end up in a landfill. There are many online recipes and Extension offers publications that help you learn how to preserve, freeze, dry or otherwise store foodstuffs.
Center for Profitable Agriculture: Our thoughts are with all of you as we navigate the uncharted waters of the COVID-19 pandemic. First and foremost, we hope you are staying well and doing all you can to help prevent the spread of this virus. Secondly, we have been searching for resources that may be available to assist you in your response and decision-making at this critical time. The current listing of resources is available on our website.
So, as we buckle now and ready ourselves for the battle ahead keep in mind that common sense is not a wasted art, be self-aware, self-isolate, don’t hoard foods/products and abide by the rules the CDC has given us and we will get through this! Also note that while Extension offices are closed to the public, we are working remotely from our homes, so please call or email if you have any questions!
Email kkean1@tnstate.edu, or kkean@utk.edu, or call 931-648-5725.