When the coronavirus pandemic forced farmers markets to close at the height of the season in South Florida, vendor Laurie Landgrebe knew what that meant for her artisan granola business: a huge loss in sales.
“We work all year for March and April sales,” she says. “Everything we sell then represents 35 percent of our annual sales.”
Landgrebe, who sells Laurie’s Pantry granola at 12 Florida farmers markets during the season, was talking about the closings at the market she attends in Englewood. “Four or five vendors were bawling,” she says. “‘We’re gonna go out of business’”
Not if Landgrebe has anything to do with it. “I want a vibrant artisan community,” she says. “We’ve gotta bring this online.”
She and partner Victor Vigano set up a website, Farmers Markets to Go, and went from vendor to vendor asking them to participate. They pay no fees to be part of the virtual marketplace, but the site charges a commission on what’s sold. It’s their responsibility to bring their goods to Landgrebe’s warehouse in Hallandale Beach, which serves as the fulfillment center. On the site, customers can search for products by category, vendor or market. They must place their orders by Thursday in order to get delivery on Saturday for a fee, or pick it up at the warehouse. Nothing sits on a grocery store shelf. “We’re helping eliminate food waste since we only receive what we need.”
Farmers Markets to Go features vendors across typical categories – bakers, jelly and preserve makers, pickles, kombucha, pet treats, skin care, coffee, cheese and produce, among others – and Langdrebe is open to adding more.
“We just want to help our fellow artisans,” she says.
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