We are humbled by your response to our Vegetable Drive Thrus. It has become clear that this outbreak will disrupt almost every facet of life. Our challenge in the short term, is to grow crops, keep feeding people, keep our business running and stay healthy.
Some Markets are Gone.
We generally have several avenues of marketing our vegetables. This time of year, we are typically working with the University Dining systems, Omaha Public Schools, Grand Island Public Schools, two local food hubs, and several restaurants. In early March, we had just started working with a new school system. By the first week of May we would normally be starting farmer’s markets and our retail season. But as you all know, we lost most of those markets in the last few weeks. Universities are closed. Public schools are closed. Restaurants are closed. The food hubs market heavily to restaurants, so those sales took big hits. And as of this week we found out that the Sunday Lincoln Farmer’s Market will not open until June 7, and we expect the Saturday Haymarket Farmer’s Market will follow similarly. This – is – scary! We depend heavily on these markets.
A Bright Spot
But there is a bright spot – and that bright spot is you. We have been amazed at the response to our vegetable drive thrus. You are the reason we have hope that we can weather this strange time we are in. Your support for Pekarek’s Produce and our family is giving us hope. So a thousand times – Thank You!
Now as all of these markets shrink, change, or disappear, we are trying to adjust on the farm. We will continue to do vegetable drive thrus at the farm. We will begin “pop up markets” in Lincoln when crops are ready (hopefully May). This will involve ordering and paying for your produce online. Meeting us at a pre-selected location in Lincoln, and we will simply put the produce in your trunk when you arrive. This is all very new to me, so we will keep you posted on how this will work.
- What can you do?
- Stay healthy! First and foremost, we want everyone to stay safe an healthy. That’s the whole point of eating your fruits and veggies anyway.
- Share this newsletter with your friends. We’d like to build a much bigger email list so that we can be sure to share as we find new ways to get the produce to you.
- Vegetable Drive Thru. Join us on the farm Friday from 4-6 or Saturday from 10-12 for some socially distanced, drive thru veggies! Maybe a drive in the country would be a nice way to get out and about.
In the meantime, Happy Easter!
Your Farmers,
Ryan, Katie, Jacob, Margret, Michael, Lukas, and Grace & Crew
I hope you can find a way to do a pop up market in Seward also. 🙂