In the past, I‘ve been one to see challenge as an opportunity for growth, and perhaps growth will come from this tumultuous year, but even for my optimistic nature this year has just seemed like too much. 2020 has challenged us on so many different levels at once that it’s impossible to process with any kind of perspective. From the renewed calls for racial justice that have prompted many of us to search deep within for hidden biases, to the way the pandemic has reshaped the most basic operations of our households and workplaces, to the challenges that our local communities have faced both economically and socially, to the immense pressure that both the pandemic and political division have put on the national and global community—2020 has left no part of our lives untouched.
Finding any kind of silver lining in all of this is a challenge unto itself, and can at times seem downright impossible. For me, one of the brightest silver linings has been a newfound sense of service and purpose in my professional life, and a deeper appreciation for our Co-op community. That sense of community and purpose has kept me going through all of this, and despite all of the negativity that has swirled around us, has given me a real sense of hope and optimism about our shared future.
Rewind to late March, a time that none of us will forget. Schools and childcare centers suddenly closed, leaving my two small children with nowhere to go. With my husband and I both working in essential businesses, juggling work and family became an impossible task. Add to that the stress and uncertainty of my work as the Purchasing Director at the Co-op—could we keep the shelves full? Could we ensure the safety of our staff and customers? What would become of the local suppliers who are the lifeblood of our business? With our E-commerce program at capacity, how could we get food to customers who couldn’t come into the stores?
Out of all of this came an idea, which at first seemed crazy, but over time became more solid and real.
Subscription boxes
The idea was this: a weekly subscription-style box pickup, using the best seasonal produce from our farmers and vendors, and available to customers as a curbside “touchless” pickup. Boxes could be packed at our Production Kitchen facility, which—with the closure of our Delis’ hot bars and salad bars—was struggling to find work for their staff. The program could provide a small but appreciated extra income for farmers and vendors who were missing their regular restaurant and farmer’s market business; it could help us keep our staff employed; and it could get organic and local fresh produce to customers who had very limited means for accessing their groceries. It was a win-win-win.
It all sounds so simple as I type it here, but believe me, taking this idea from conception to reality was no small task. From taking orders and processing online payments, to sourcing, to packing, to transport and storage, to staffing the pickup stations, none of this was anything that we’d done before. We literally made it up as we went.
By mid-May, we were ready to take orders, and the program debuted in June, with 300 boxes of fresh produce picked up by customers each week. In addition to my regular job duties, I found myself the customer service point person for 200 box customers as well as being responsible for sourcing and ordering all of the produce for the boxes. Given the nature of the program, and my already full workload and family demands, this became a seven-day-a-week task, and I often stayed up late in the evening after the kids were asleep, emailing customers and vendors.
Now, I love my job, but I’ve never been someone who could be described as a workaholic. Managing the box program threw my work/life balance completely out of whack, but oddly, I didn’t mind.
As the person sourcing the produce and also interacting with customers, I became the point of connection between the two, and I had the opportunity to support both sides at a time when they needed it more than ever before. I’ve worked in local and organic food for my entire career, but this experience gave me a completely new perspective and appreciation for the importance of what I do, and how much it means to people.
The secret to happiness
I’ve read that one of the secrets to happiness is the practice of giving and service to others. My experience with the box program proved that to be true for me. Some of my best moments during this tumultuous year have been reading the messages sent from grateful customers and farmers, and knowing that by ordering those extra few cases of kale from a struggling farmer, or by including the most delicious peaches in the fruit box, that I was helping to make peoples’ challenging days just a little brighter, and that I was actively strengthening the ties of community that hold us all together and make us more resilient in dark times such as these.
With the onset of cold weather and the added stress of the holidays, the fruit and veggie subscription program ended last month. When all was said and done, we paid roughly $56,000 in additional revenue to our local growers, and packed and handed out over 6,000 boxes of fresh produce to customers.
Thanksgiving boxes
Though the fruit and veggie subscription box program is done for now, we are offering a similar curbside box for Thanksgiving, including some beautiful local and organic produce and grocery items to grace your holiday table. You can find all of the details on page 15. Whether you get them from the curbside program, or from inside the retail stores, by including local items from small producers in your meal, you will be continuing the work of building community and connection, and that will endure into 2021 and beyond.
