Food Security equals Farm Certainty
Putting aside the political hype and scientific debates about the coronavirus pandemic—one thing we all know is that we don’t know what the future holds.
The uncertainty of not knowing what is going to transpire in our communities, country or world as a result of the pandemic, or a potential second wave, is driving a great deal of anxiety for many people. Worse yet, many people are struggling with the immediate hardship of grief, unemployment and career changes—especially in the hospitality and restaurant industries.
Currently 1 in 5 Americans are dealing with food security issues, meaning they are having difficulty accessing and sourcing food for their families. That is the highest level of food insecurity since the Great Depression and fueling the highest volume of online searches for local food ever. This Spring 1 in 3 Americans went online to purchase food.
For local Farmers who are unsure about their readiness or their financial viability—here is the call-to-action—get your Farm online now.
You can provide certainty for your Farm’s financial future with commitments from eager and willing local Buyers who want to purchase your food on an ongoing basis—every week, two weeks or month. Buyers want food security for their families and are willing to pay for it. Read: 5 Steps to Make Local Delivery Profitable for your Farm.
Subscriptions are the secret to your Farm’s financial certainty and will delight your Buyers. Why? Because you are resolving the most basic need: food. A subscription to your Farm’s products—proteins, fruits, vegetables, dairy, cheese—will fly off your “online” shelves. The processor shutdowns are further exacerbating the situation as families are concerned about their access to proteins.
Most of the Farms we serve across all 50 states are sold out. Your Farm could be, too, provided you make it easy for Buyers to find, select and purchase your Farm products online with the click-of-a-mouse. Your Farm store must be available on the web, mobile, social, email and newsletters—wherever a potential Buyer may interact with your Farm. And, you should offer convenient Pickup or Delivery options from your Farm. Read: 3 Tactics for Your Farms to Succeed in Light of Coronavirus Impacts.
We encourage you to read about the experience of other Farmers who have made the transition online and sold out quickly.
None of us know what the future holds. But, we do know the demand and market opportunity is real. The pandemic could ease relatively soon—but how quickly will Americans return to restaurants, markets and public events (to be determined)? In the worst case, the pandemic persists through the Fall and a second wave leads to ongoing quarantines and shutdowns. We hope not.
In any event, the best path to certainty for your Farm is to get online now and offer subscriptions to Buyers who are actively seeking food security for their families. Whether your Farm chooses to work with Barn2Door or another provider is your prerogative—do your research. Read: Farm Ecommerce? 9 Key Questions to Ask Before Deploying for Your Farm.
To learn how Barn2Door could serve your Farm, we encourage you to watch a 5:40 video.