Farm stand, delivery alternatives for fresh produce surge as shoppers look to avoid supermarket trips

As shoppers try to avoid trips to the supermarket during the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for finding fresh produce at farms stands and local home delivery services has surged.

Johnny’s Produce, an Everett-based produce distributor that has been selling to restaurants, hotels and hospitals for nearly 30 years, reinvented itself as a home delivery service that spread to more than half a dozen towns by word of mouth in a matter of weeks.

“People had been asking for years: ‘Oh, can you deliver me some produce,’ and we’d kind of just chuckled,” said co-owner Christos Patrinos. Now, with many people unwilling to make the trip to the grocery store but who need fresh produce, Patrinos saw an opportunity.

He described the situation as win-win, as most of his restaurant orders dried up almost instantly when Gov. Charlie Baker’s emergency public health order closed restaurants to in-person dining.

Another alternative to visiting the grocery store has been local farm stands, which were already popular but have seen an uptick in interest. Kevin Overshiner has run Franklin-based Upswing Farm with his wife since 2016 and said he’s seen a 20% increase in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscriptions since the pandemic hit.

“People have expressed concerns about going to the supermarket,” Overshiner said. “From the point that the item is harvested, to the point that it reaches you, there’s just way less points of contact [at a local farm].”

To further ease customers’ concerns, Overshiner said Upswing Farm now pre-packs all subscriber bags for quick pickup at the various farm stands and limits the amount of staff doing the packing. All staff members wear gloves, masks and regularly sanitize, while also practicing social distancing, he added.

Upswing Farm recently launched an online store to replace in-person browsing at the farm stand and its annual seed sale, and to further meet the increase in demand.

“It’s bringing an awareness to the importance of local food and the importance of the local food chain,” Overshiner said.

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