Across the state, both small and large businesses are looking outside their normal realms of operations to find ways to reach the public. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues companies are looking for creative opportunities to not only reach out to their target markets but also for ways to help assist their surrounding communities. While the public is learning to adapt to life amid a pandemic we’re hearing everyday about how local farms, producers, and businesses are coping with the reality in which we’ve found ourselves.

On April 10th from 10AM-2PM at the Patrick Street Plaza Buzz Foods will be offering a a packed meat box that consumers can purchase.

The Buzz Foods Box Sale, Introducing WV Farm 2 Radio

Welcome to West Virginia Farm 2 Radio, a new podcast brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Here we explore what’s happening with our farms and farmers around the state, agriculture based businesses, and the department itself.

As days have turned into weeks and weeks into months, COVID-19 has had a profound impact on our everyday life. Though it seems at times nothing feels the same, one thing that hasn’t changed is the WVDA’s drive to ensure a better world of agriculture not only for the state but for the nation as well. Since this pandemic first began to effect our society, we here at the department of agriculture have been exploring new avenues to continually tell the remarkable stories of West Virginia agriculture and it’s people.  

In today’s inaugural episode we’re talking with Amie Minor at the WVDA and how our labs are operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, later we’re catching up with Gritt’s Farm, and lastly we’re taking a deep dive into Swift Level Fine Meats in Lewisburg, WV about their business, understanding the role they serve in their community, and how we could use the outbreak as an educational tool.

West Virginia Farm 2 Radio // WVDA Labs, Gritt's Farm, and Swift Level Fine Meats

In this episode we’ll be talking with farmers market’s around the state as they open under COVID-19 regulations and guidelines all the while the desire to offer fresh local food remains the same, we’ll take a trip back to Lewisburg, West Virginia to see how Smooth Ambler, within almost a blink of an eye, refocused their operations from making nation-wide renowned bourbon to producing, packaging, and distributing hand sanitizer without charging a dime, and lastly we’re talking with Turnrow Appalachian Farm Collective about food accessibility and the mini markets they’ve been setting up throughout the state.

Links:
http://capitolmarket.net
https://www.facebook.com/LewisburgFarmersMarket
https://www.morgantownfarmersmarket.org
https://smoothambler.com
https://turnrow.localfoodmarketplace.com
https://agriculture.wv.gov