It didn’t take long for Susanna Thornton to realize she was going to have to shake up her plans. As Virginia’s governor increasingly restricted dining establishments, farmers markets and life in general throughout March, much of what Thornton had expected for the spring was out the window.
She had plenty of food — as owner, with her family, of Thornfield Farm in Botetourt County, she had greens and eggs, beef and lamb, grown, harvested and ready to be eaten. She just had to find a way to get it to customers — who were hungry for fresh, local food as grocery store shelves became increasingly bare and supporting local businesses became a priority.
Thornton was more well-positioned than most. She had set up her business model using an online order form for her Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers. She had long sent out an email newsletter every Sunday evening. And she had an active social media presence.
So, in late March, she and her team created a second online platform — this one would be for the general public — and set up locations where customers could pick up their orders without leaving their cars.
Across the Roanoke Valley — and the country — this has become the model for how to connect local food with community eaters. With farmers markets disrupted just as they should be opening, with springtime events canceled — everything from street festivals to weddings, with restaurant meals severely reduced, and school and university accounts on hold, farmers have had to find ways to connect with buyers more directly than ever before.
LEAP is one organization that has stepped into the void. The nonprofit that oversees farmers markets in Grandin Village and the West End, as well as manages programs that double the value of farmers market dollars for SNAP, Medicaid and WIC recipients, and brings local food to underserved communities through its Mobile Market, has rebuilt its services multiple times over recent weeks as rules keep changing.
To purchase from the West End Farmers Market, shoppers choose items and pay on a newly built online order form then pick up curbside on Tuesdays (home delivery is also available). The Grandin Village market will operate the same way beginning Saturday, April 25. LEAP continues to offer double value for those who qualify and has begun packing produce bags sourced from local farmers for community partners to distribute to families in need.
The West End market has seen its sales triple over the last three weeks, says Maureen Best, director of strategic planning at LEAP (Local Environmental Agriculture Project). But to Best, it’s vital that SNAP shoppers — whose numbers are soaring as unemployment hits historic highs — are not left out when local food moves online. “We’re trying to make sure we aren’t thinking only about those who have money. Because if we do, we’re not serving our whole community.”
Roanoke’s downtown farmers market and Salem’s farmers market have listed vendors and their contact information on their Facebook pages. Shoppers can connect with farmers independently and arrange for product pickup.
But as some options become more limited, others have expanded. Virginia Field Goods is a food hub that began in October 2018. Their model already involved online ordering on Mondays and local pickup locations on Fridays. But in recent weeks, they’ve begun offering home delivery and expanded their pickup locations as demand for their services has increased.
Roanoke’s two produce wholesale companies have also stepped into the retail sector. Roanoke Fruit & Produce Company and Produce Source Partners are each offering online ordering and parking lot pickup to families and individuals.
Several area farms (such as Weathertop Farm, near Floyd, Va., and Truman Hill Farm in Hardy, Va.) offer pre-order for local meat with designated dates and places for pick up. Charlie Counts, owner of Local Seafood Delivery and a staple at several area farmers markets has converted to an online ordering system and is delivering North Carolina seafood directly to customers.
Homestead Creamery has had online order and home delivery since 2006. In addition to the milk, butter and ice cream made at the creamery, Homestead offers locally grown vegetables and meat, and locally made products such as Route 11 potato chips, Honest Coffee Roasters beans and Boone’s Country Store bread products. They’ve had more than 200 new requests for home delivery over the past month, according to their home delivery manager, and are predicting a four -to-six week wait to be added to delivery routes.
Even restaurants are getting into the mix. FarmBurguesa sold locally raised beef on their new online ordering platform until supplies ran out. And South Roanoke’s River and Rail agreed to be the pickup location on Thursdays and Fridays for Thornfield Farm’s online orders.
“This is a lot of everybody trying to support each other and make do and stay in business,” Best says. “It’s not something that’s going to go away anytime soon.”
About the Writer:
Christina Nifong is a writer with a decades-long career profiling interesting people, places and ideas. She’s recently launched a new email newsletter focused on life in the slow lane, called Nourishing Stories. Sign up and find more of her work at christinanifong.com.
