Local farms and markets benefit from national shortage

SORRY LOOKING PRODUCE SECTIONLATELY ATBI G BOX RETAILERS.WHILE THEY'RE STILL HAVINGTROUBLE GETTING SUPPLY OFCERTAIN ITEMS. A LOT OF LOCALMARKETSARE DOING JUST FINE.

BECAUSE OFWHERE THEY BUY FROM.IN SOME CASES.

IT'S EVEN HELPEDTHEM HAVE RECORD YEARS.ALAN"certainly challenging for allbut maybe notas challenging as most,frankly."SKIMPY SHELVES AND TIRED PRODUCEMIGHT BE A SIGHT AT BIG BOXRETAILERS.

AHMPERED THISYEAR BY SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGES.BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKINGFOR THTA AT KINGMA'S MARKET INGRAND RAPIDS.

KEEP LOOKING.

NOSHORTAGES HERE."we're not reliant on thatnationla source ofsupply."ALAN"our local relationships.they've been somewhat self-contained.

Our meat comes fromHolland, Michigan.

Our pork fromCoopersville." IT'S THOSE LOCALRELATOINSHIPS THAT'S KEPTKINGMAS.N AD A LOT OF OTHER.SMALLER MARKETS AND GROCERYSTORES.

ABOVE WATE RTHIS YEAR.AND MAYBE EVEN IN BETTER SHAPETHAN PRE- PANDEMIC.CUSTOMESR SEEING SHORTAGES ONPRODUCE.

MEAT.

EGGS ANDOTHER FRESH ITEMS AT BIGSTORES.

HAVE LFOCKED TOSMALL STORES.

THAT GET THEIRSTUFF FROM DOWN THE ROAD.ALAN"particularly when the shortag ehappenedearly in the pandemic.

Customersbegan to recognize that we arestill in stock." SU:"one of the reasons a lot oflocal farms and markes thaven'tbeen affected by this is.there's really nodelay.

Atomato that's grownhere at the farm today can be ateth marketand even on your table bytomorrow."NATS"here we've got some of ourtrials actually, inthis bed." HEATHER"people are appreciating theirloca lsources and.

Yeah.

We're one ofthem." INSTE ADOF GETTING THEIRPRODUCE FROM CALIFORNIA ORELSEWHERE IN THE MIDWEST EVEN.KINGMAS GOES HERE.

TO GREENWAGON FARM IN ADA.

AND OWNERHEATHER ANDERSON."we actually saw an increase insales.this was one of our better.

Ithink our best sales year yet."GREEN WAGON CAN GROW INSIDE.

ANDWHILE BIG BOX STORES FOUGHTDECREASING SUPPLY.

HIGH SHIPPINGCOST.WHILE BIG BOX STORES FOUGHTDECREASING SUPPLY.

HIGHSHIPPING COST.

EVEN A SHORAGTEON SHIPPING PALLETS.HEATHER.

JUST DROVE HER PRODUCEDOWN THE ROAD TOKINGMAS AND THEIR OTHERWHOLESALEPARTNERS.

ALL YEAR-ROUND.HEATHER"we found it was easier to sellto people in teh winter.

Partlybecause of shortage."THE REALIZATIONS THIS PAST YEARFOR BOTH BUYER AND SUPPLIER.HAVE BEN EINVALUABLE.

SHOWINGTHE STRENGT HAND FLEXIBILITY OFSOURCING LOCAL.ALAN"we're on the good side of this.if there isone."GREEN WAGON FARM ALSO HAS A'COMMUNITY SUPPORTEDAGRICUTULRE' PROGRAM WITH A FEWSPOTS LEFT.

IF YOU WANT TOSUPPORT THEM DIRECTLY.

YOU CANFIND MORE INFO ON OUR WEBSITE ATFOX- 17-ONLINE-DOT- COM.