September-Octoberr 2021 Volume 41, Issue 5
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit #115 Albany, OR
Extending Knowledge and Changing Lives in Linn and Benton Counties
Small Farmers Show Resiliency During COVID Oregon small farmers showed their resiliency during the COVID pandemic, adding online sales options, pooling resources and even delivering produce directly to customers. More than half of respondents to a survey compiled and distributed by OSU Extension, in fact, said they were able to increase sales at a time when many in-person sales options were shut down. “Small farmers adapted, networked together and tried new things,” said Melissa Fery, small farms Extension agent for Linn, Benton and Lane counties. “That just speaks to the resiliency of our farmers here in Oregon.” Several farmers reported in the survey that they added an online sales option in 2020 or began or increased delivering direct to consumers. Still others started or expanded a CSA, or community supported agriculture, where consumers would come to a farm and pick up a box of goods once a week or so. Many farmers responded to the pandemic by pooling
Photo by Mitch Lies
By Mitch Lies, GrowinG Editor
Cynthia Swope of Midway Farms in Albany said she had robust sales during much of the pandemic, but has had difficulties finding workers.
resources, according to the survey. “We saw an increase from 2019 to 2020 in collaborative sales with other farmers, so kind of networking and figuring out how they could work together, being resilient in that way,” Fery said. U-pick sales generally were up, as consumers viewed farms as a means to get outdoors and acquire
food. “People seemed hungry to get out and be in the open air and do activities where they could be distanced and feel safe,” said Jesse Berkey of Berkey’s Blueberries in Lebanon. “They had to mask up and wash their hands and do some extra protocols before going out to pick, but most were just happy to come out and be outside.”
And farms opened their operation to consumers in other ways, as well, in 2020. “Instead of selling strictly through a farmers’ market or another location, they let customers come to their farm to pick up product,” Fery said. “In many cases, these weren’t traditional farm stands. They were just on-farm pick-up options.” Meanwhile, according to
the survey, participation in farmers’ markets decreased. And, according to Rebecca Landis, who manages farmers markets in Albany and Corvallis, attendance at the markets was down. Still, she said, those vendors who did participate generally had strong sales. “Each household unit spent more each time they came, because more people were cooking at home, and with fewer vendors, the share that each vendor got on average was as good or better than they had preCOVID,” Landis said. The higher sales came with some caveats, however. “A lot of vendors reported having to hire more staff (because of COVID protocols), which was unfortunate. So, it was not a total win,” Landis said. “And, of course, it was exhausting.” In the survey, which Oregon State University Extension’s Small Farms Program distributed to small farmers throughout Oregon, just over half the respondents from the Willamette Valley, 51 percent, reported an Continued on Page 9
2021 County Fair season is in the books! Check out all the fun on pgs. 17 and 18
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/linn
September-OCtOber 2021 —
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