Farmers Adapt During the Pandemic

KIMT News 3's Anthony Monzon shows us how in a time when the agriculture is struggling, some independent farmers are turning things around

Saints are seeing the most over?

"*the?

"* tonight we're taking a hard look at something we'll call rural realities?

"*?

"*?

"* or prefer?

"*?

"*?

"* farm financ doubt about it, the farmers who feed us all are in dire financial straits brought on by restaurant closures and this insidious pandemic.

Tonight, though, kimt news 3's anthony monzon is finding that some local growers are going online to improve their bottom line.

Independent farmers are reeling.

With coronavirus restrictions reducing capacity at restaurants... demand for produce has dropped dramatically.

"since the reduced capacity, the need is less, so they're not able to sell as much because the demand is less."

Statistics from resourc?

"*ed show small farms across the country recorded a fifty?

"*one?

"* per drop in sales to restaurants through may... with many farms fearing they would be closed by year's end.

At the greensted in zumbrota... local producers dean and jayne bredlau witnessed the devastating impact on farmers first?

"* hand.

"a lot of farms struggled because they were planting in january and february and planting seedlings for a large harvest to provide for restaurants, and then that didn't happen.

That's a serious loss."

Bridge: faced with a changing environment for their independent farm... the bredlaus dug deep... and found solutions that would put them on a path to sustainability.

"it was basically getting with the online sales... getting products sold online... getting the word out."

The bredlaus invested in the greensted's digital presence... improving their website... connecting on apps... and even making sales through social media.

"we had a lot of people coming to do no contact farm pick ups.

So they would order through our website... and i would put it out in a cooler... with a thing they could put their money in and be on their way."

And they've prioritized distribution to grocery stores.

"the local grocery store has been an untapped market, especially for micro?

"*greens.

So that's what we went after... and we've been welcomed into nearly every store."

The bredlaus say business is now better than