SPOKANE, Wash. — The coronavirus pandemic is uncharted territory for everyone, with businesses that are considered essential needing to find new ways to keep going.
The farming industry is also feeling these effects, and all over the country some farms are struggling to sell their produce because restaurants, schools and other institutions are closed. It's leaving them with a lot of inventory that they thought would be on your table by now.
"We were all on schedule for our big school sales in the early Spring, usually these greenhouses, everything we grow in here we sell to the public school systems,” said Tarawyn Waters with Urban Eden Farm.
However, with schools canceled through the rest of the year, Waters has to find new ways to sell what she grows.
“It's a time to really hustle to find different selling ways," Waters added.
Like many other farmers, their big orders got cancelled when the pandemic forced companies to close.
“We still have farms in our region who have food available, either storage crops leftover from this last season or this is spring now, we're getting greens, radishes and stuff like that coming in, so where do we go with that," Dan Jackson with LINC Foods said.
LINC Foods is a wholesale business for local farmers like Waters. They help sell local farm produce to restaurants, universities, and grocery stores. Jackson said they've shifted to more direct sales to people.
"What we're having to do is find a brand new customer base in essence and offer this direct consumer option,” Jackson explained.
Jackson said while the situation in the Inland Northwest might not be as dire as what's happening to farmers in Florida, our region is heading into a major growing season and there is a concern there won't be a place for it to go.
In the meantime, farmers like Waters are trying to stay optimistic.
"I might be okay with this excess, it's going to move and go to the people and it's all going to be okay," Waters said.
Some local farms are also donating to food banks and summer school lunch programs.
"I think at these times it's not only support your neighbors and support your businesses, support your farmers,” Jackson said.
LINC Foods launched an online marketplace, offering locally grown products to the Spokane-area. They sell a variety of produce, eggs, meat, dairy, grains and other items from local farms, and is open to the general public.
You can order on the LINC Foods website, and pick up their food at several locations in Spokane and Spokane Valley.
Pick-up days are every Tuesday and Friday from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. Order deadlines are 10:30 pm the Sunday prior for Tuesday pick up, and 10:30 pm the Wednesday prior for Fridays.
LINC will have a mobile pick up site on the South Hill near 29th and Grand on Tuesdays, and by Gonzaga’s McCarthey Center on Fridays. You can register on LINC Foods website.