IMPACT ON PRODUCER MARKETS

Respondents overwhelmingly felt that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their markets (89.9%). Producers engage in a plurality of different markets based on the type of their operation, each with differing demands and adaptabilities. As such, respondents’ opinions about the impacts on their specific markets are as follows:

• Impacts on retail markets were predominantly identified as negative (52.8%) followed by having no effect (22.2%), a neutral impact (16.7%), and a positive impact (8.3%).

• 62.2% of respondents reported wholesale markets as being negatively impacted, respondents, followed by 13.5% who characterized the impacts as neutral and positive, respectively, and 10.8% who reported no effect.

• Impacts on farm stands fared slightly better with 40.6% of respondents reporting no effect on this market, 28.1% who characterized the effects as negative, and 15.6% who reported the effects as neutral and positive, respectively. These impacts included gaining new customers who sought out local produce as a result of the national supply chain disruptions during the onset of the lockdowns as well as a higher demand for CSA programs. Respondents also cited previously reliable market outlets failing, including dramatically decreased restaurant orders. They reported depressed prices for meat and a lack of processing options for livestock, echoing national stories of beef supply chain disruptions.

To cope with these impacts of the pandemic, 66.7% of respondents said that they modified how they market their products or services. Many producers pivoted to CSA programs and direct sales to make up for lost revenue from

% RESPONDENTS

53

17 22

8 61

14 14 11

NEGATIVE NEUTRAL POSITIVE NO EFFECT

29 41

15 15

Retail Wholesale Farm Stand

IMPACT ON PRODUCER MARKETS

restaurant sales and dwindling markets. Some producers reported aggregating their products with other farms to create more robust CSAs and cope with increasing or shifting local food demands. Others increased their efforts for value-added products to supplement income. Producers also reported shifting to selling to schools and charitable food outlets as restaurant orders came to a near halt.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Support remediation efforts for the meat processing industry.

• Support strengthening direct markets and CSA efforts, including building out online sales and advertisements.

Promote messages for people to purchase local food.

• Grow local food and supply chains by increasing funding and opportunities for schools and charities to continue purchasing local food at a fair and just prices. in order to grow local food supply chains.

• Support farmer collaborations and networking efforts that build more robust CSAs and direct markets as well as support labor sharing efforts.