The coronavirus is creating a problem for Georgia farmers: Restaurants are doing less business, and schools are feeding fewer kids. That means even if there’s a great crop coming up, growers may not have their usual customers to sell it to.
About 50% of the crop in the state typically goes to food service, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, and it’s not easy for growers and wholesalers to quickly pivot to get crops meant for restaurants into grocery stores instead.
In Cherokee County, Buckeye Creek Farm grows produce for restaurants and also grinds cornmeal and grits. Liz Porter, who founded the farm with her husband, said this year she didn’t grow spring greens for restaurants, and she’s holding off on planting other crops after talking with the chefs she usually works with.
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