The fact that COVID-19 may well lead to the cancellation of favorite fall activities, including Halloween, doesn’t bother the vice president of sales and marketing for Keenes, Ill.-based Frey Farms in the least.
Grower-shippers of Red River Valley potatoes offer a selection of consumer packs in addition to the larger-sized sacks, cartons and totes they ship to retail, wholesale and foodservice customers.
Sales of packaged salads are exploding, tossed from a modest single-digit growth to a 33% spike during the now infamous week of coronavirus-related panic buying in mid-March.
With flavors like Maple Bourbon Bacon and descriptions like Ranch-seasoned crouton crumble, roasted sunflower seeds and a creamy ranch dressing, today’s packaged salad components read more like menu items.
When the state of Ohio shut down all restaurants and bars on March 15 with the words: “This is the real thing; this is not a drill,” Kirk Holthouse realized he had a big problem.
Keeping employees safe and getting produce to anxious consumers in the time of COVID-19 has become as big a challenge for farmers as growing a healthy crop.
