Landon Jefferies - Farmer, Root Mass Farm
VOICES
Reflections from the Philly Food World on COVID-19
Anyone familiar with the Philly food world knows that pride and community are the currents that make this an amazing place to eat. Yet, COVID-19 has had visceral effects, from shuttered restaurants and a takeout shift to supply chain disruptions, which have people reconsidering the role of a diversified local food system.
With an eye on the future, we reached out to five Philadelphians who play a role in the local food world to take the pulse of the city and get an early read on lessons learned that may carry us forward. Here’s one of them.
This Oley-based farm was entering its 10th season as COVID-19 hit. Ninety percent of its sales come from the Headhouse and Frankford Transportation Center farmers’ markets. While social distancing has changed things, farmers Lindsey and Landon Shapiro hope their Garden Stake program, in which customers commit funds and debit purchases, will create continuity. “With all of the changes this year, we have had a lot of people signing up,” Landon says. Weekly pre-orders are now the new norm, a challenge for SNAP recipients—of whom there has been an uptick, according to a presentation from the Food Policy Advisory Council. They cannot commit season-long funds. The Shapiros remain undeterred. “We are welcoming any SNAP customers to become part of the CSA and just pay upon pick-up.”
How They’ll Remember the Crisis:
“I am grateful that the farmers’ markets are open in Philadelphia—that they were considered essential. There are a lot of people who worked to make that happen. We have gotten a lot of positive feedback and appreciation, even more so now that it is such a weird world.”
On Resilience:
“When we consider risk as a farm, we are mostly thinking on the production end. What is the weather going to hold? Now, it’s a different sort of problem: How to make sure we can still get all this food to everyone. I feel fortunate that our route to market is so short. It is coming directly from the farm and going directly to customers.”
Looking Ahead:
“People are doing their best to support local farms and local businesses right now. There is a lot of focus on that, wanting to get away from some of these larger retailers.”
