Area Small Farmers Feel the Impact of COVID-19
Early in the pandemic, Pearl made the difficult decision to suspend its popular Farmers Market in the name of public safety. Worried that its closure would be catastrophic for its community of small, local farmers whose livelihoods depend on the weekend markets, Pearl quickly launched an online marketplace that would support the vendors safely while providing farm fresh produce to its loyal customers via its curbside service.
KSAT.com covered the quick transition of the market to an online platform and examined the impact the pandemic has had on farmers. “It’s live or die for these for these vendors,” said Elizabeth Fauerso, chief marketing officer at Pearl, in March. “If we don’t support our local vendors, then they will not make it through this period of time.”
Since the launch of Pearl Farmers Market Curbside last year, hundreds of customers have placed orders every week. Customers can get fresh produce, dairy products, and other groceries from local farmers and producers, whose sales were impacted by the closure of restaurants.