This interview is part of a series chatting with local business owners, artists, organizers and people in our community who are learning to adapt during COVID-19. It has been transcribed from our Instagram Live interview.
Max Valyear – Green Wheel Farms
Green Wheel Farms is a Sustainable Urban Farm & Education Centre as well as a Spin Farming operation. It was created with the desire to bring farming back to urban areas like our grandparents and their parents grew up doing.
How have you adapted your operations during the pandemic?
It’s allowed me to get out of my normal habit of procrastination. I’ve said for a couple of years, I would like to start a roadside stand. Last year I spoke to a few people who were in the know. and learned that I was allowed to have a roadside stand, because this is a registered farm, it’s a source of income for me.
Without having the farmers’ market and other retail outlets I’d normally sell at, I thought, “Okay, time to get off your butt and get a stand going.” It brought that on for me which is good, it’s something that I’ve needed to do to move further into the business.
Because of demand of fresh local vegetables, it’s also gotten me to put together a nursery, which I’ve needed. Last year I rented a greenhouse, which was very costly, so I put together a small nursery that I can use to get all my seedlings going.
How does the roadside stand work in terms of ordering and pickup?
Through the winter with my microgreens, when the stand was on the porch customers would just do an online order. I have a Facebook page, Green Wheel Farms Online Farm Stand. My clientele has been with me from the beginning, so most of them are used to coming to the market. We discussed it over the spring as COVID started, and I shared that I’d be doing the stand out of the porch, and just send me a message and I’ll let you know if I have it available. It’s worked out great, it’s sort of become an online business.
The rest of our interview was cut off because of technical difficulties, but you can learn more about Green Wheel Farms by checking out the Facebook page here.
Stay tuned as we share more local folks who are Makin’ It Work, and check out our weekly interviews (of the same name) on Instagram Live every Friday.
