Fresh Disruption

In a post COVID19 world, where everyone’s life has been disrupted by closures and well-placed anxiety, we’re also coping with the reality that pandemic is causing rapid and significant effects on the economy.

Investors know, politicians know, and consumers surely know that our daily lives and purchasing networks will continue to see disruptions. The employees and CEOs who are most affected are likely preoccupied by fear, but hopefully other thought leaders see these challenges as opportunities.

Especially now that one of our few approved activities is visiting the grocery store, the pandemic is exposing weaknesses in our food distribution networks. Vulnerabilities attached to a big box access model have suddenly become a matter of public safety. Buying food in a place where consumers don’t know each other, can’t be sure who has touched their food, and need to also stay 6 feet from other shoppers poses risks we weren’t ready to adapt to overnight.

One of the longtime draws of local food has been “knowing your farmer,” and being able to trace exactly where your food came from. In this case, where disease is traveling rapidly through person-to-person contact, the more unfamiliar hands that our food passes through increases our chance of coming into contact with a pandemic virus.

Local food and the direct to consumer marketing practiced through roadside stands and farmers markets is often seen as “old fashioned” and enjoyed by many as a novelty experience. However, it seems that small scale producers are much more ready to adapt to changes in consumer needs during a global crisis.

While big box stores are vastly more available to meet consumer needs on site, they are not formatted to support direct to consumer channels that are best for maintaining social distancing. In this new world order of consumer demands, delivery services shine as an accessible, high-quality option for fresh food. In particular, for consumers who want to purchase the safest, healthiest foods while supporting local vendors, services like Market Wagon provide a nearly perfect option.

The delivery service, which prior to COVID19 was averaging $35K per week in regional sales, saw a sudden increase to $185,000K after the onset of mandatory isolation. This resulted in an immediate need for more delivery drivers and an extra delivery day added to the weekly schedule.

For a homegrown regional business, this is a lot to handle all at once. But Market Wagon seems to be thriving. And local food vendors seem more than ready to handle the increased demand — Market Wagon and its individual producers have advertised their availability to serve customers who are seeking new options to buy food. As an added bonus, the increased demand creates jobs for drivers who might otherwise be laid off during the pandemic.

Amid the disruptions to our daily routines, entrepreneurs will continue with what they do best — solving challenges and reaching consumers in newly exposed markets. Market Wagon and similar services that focus on elevating local products are having a moment during the chaos, and the implications for its sustained success are intriguing.

Change is uncomfortable, and it’s unfortunate that a global tragedy has opened our eyes to the vulnerabilities that weaken our people and communities. But people in the U.S. have been calling for disruptions on many different fronts for what seems like a long time. Equitable distribution of wealth, transparency and fair access to a healthy food supply, more community control over economies and individual well-being — these are things that non-profits and municipal task forces all over the country work to promote. It just happens that bolstering a local food network can provide answers to all of those issues.

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