Sep 16, 2020
In today's episode of Farm Small Farm Smart
The pandemic brought about several restaurant closures, and that does not spell well for the farmers supplying them. But like many things in life, it's the tough times that bring out the best in people.
Today, we’re talking to farmer Adam Pollack of Closed Loop Farms in Chicago, IL. In March Adam had to deal with a loss of the majority of his restaurant customer base overnight due to COVID-19. Instead of trying to wait for restaurants to come back online, Adam and his team set out to rebuild their whole business model from the ground up. They shifted from selling only to restaurants to selling directly to consumers. With a shift in their customer base, they also had to shift the products they were selling. Closed Loop Farms began aggregating products from other local producers and shifting their microgreen production to meet new demand. Overall the changes weren't easy, but it has worked out so far and put their business in a stronger position going forward.
Adam is a great example of a business owner that adapted and pivoted when his back was up against the wall showing that regardless of how hard things might seem, there's always a way out.
Today’s Guest - Adam Pollack
Adam is a microgreen farmer and the owner of Closed Loop Farms. His farm was servicing nearly one hundred restaurants in the Chicago area until the pandemic came. Now, he and his team have adapted by going online.
Closed Loop Farms – Website | Shopify | Facebook | Instagram
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