PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Farmers across South Florida have made quick changes to their business model to stay afloat amid the coronavirus.
Since there’s a low demand for produce from the restaurant industry, farmers have been selling boxes of produce directly to the customers.
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Many farms have reported a spike in demand for curbside service as coronavirus concerns continue to mount.
This week, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried launched a website to make the connection between farmers and their customers even more convenient.
The "Keep Florida Growing" campaign is a one-stop online portal where farmers can post details about their surplus, location and hours of operation.
“With COVID-19 deeply affecting not only Floridians but also agriculture, our state’s second-largest economic driver, we’re launching a new one-stop page to support consumers and our agriculture community,” said Fried. “We’re bringing together Floridians and their food producers in one place to share state and federal resources, ways to buy and sell farm-fresh Florida products, and information on steps we’re taking to keep Florida growing.”
The website features a "U-pick farm locator" where farm-fresh produce can be found, reducing transportation costs for agriculture producers.