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DURING HARDSHIP Story and photos by Andrea Haines
Journeying the hills of the lower Shenandoah Valley, a traveler comes across many orchard groves and fields of green. Hard-to-miss signs of fresh eggs, newly plucked cherries, and homegrown products almost pull you into the farm lane like a magnet set to its target. Busy shoppers pop in and out from the walls of the open-air market, like honeybees to a hive with baskets full of beautiful produce and local treasures from Orr’s Farm Market of Martinsburg, West Virginia. 10 LEADER VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 2
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owever, things are obviously different right now; all throughout the store you can find signs of an uptick in safety for their customers and staff. Sanitizer available and gloves worn, Plexiglas screens at checkouts, cars lined up at drive-up spots awaiting staff to roll out heaping carts of products for delivery curbside — all precautions due to pandemic standards. All over the country, farm markets are seeing a boost in customer numbers due to the novel COVID-19 virus. Grocery stores struggling to keep up with the pandemic demand has driven shoppers to the curbside stands and farm markets. “The outpouring of support and love from our community has been amazing,” shares Katy Orr-Dove, general manager overseeing the farm market, personal relations, accounting, and purchasing. “I am very blessed to have a strong team of staff members who couldn’t have been more supportive. They really gave out a ‘warm welcome’ for guests.” The approach of the pandemic was a bit scary for businesses, but the market rallied with a plan. “Initially, we were ahead of the game. We have a son with asthma, and therefore have taken all of the precautions really seriously,” says Katy. “March was daunting because we knew we needed the income to keep our staff working and to prepare for the 2020 fruit harvest season. We needed the market to stay open in some capacity as it’s our only source of income in the spring months. The first decision was going to a curbside service set up.” The market is already two years into a system that tracks sales and inventory online. This allowed the family to extend services with a drive-up window. Many precautionary needs like shelving, safe distancing, and masks were implemented upon each CDC announcement. Katy says, “We are wiping down carts and baskets, cleaning routines have been in overdrive. We have started morning meetings with staff where we ask about exposure to the virus and symptoms, temperature testing them before working.” Re-routing the consumer demand to certain hours has changed, too. “The pick-your-own reservations came when they lifted the restrictions on non-essential businesses,” she shares. “We started offering ‘pick-your-own by
