Officials with the USDA toured Midwest Food Bank as the Farm to Family Food Box becomes a lifeline to many. DAVID PROEBER
BLOOMINGTON â Sarah Frey sees and appreciates the irony when she looks out at her once-small family farm that became a big player in the specialty crops industry.
âThis place Iâd spent my entire life trying to escape from, in 2020, it became my escape,â said Frey, the founder of Frey Farms in southern Illinois and âPumpkin Queen of Americaâ in the words of the New York Times.
Frey was a keynote speaker at the annual Illinois Specialty Crop Conference, put on virtually by the Illinois Specialty Growers Association. She described to the audience how long before the COVID-19 pandemic saw people fleeing the congestion of cities, as a teenager she dreamt of stepping into a high-rise and ascending the elevator to her office.
Illinois Agribusiness goes against the grain and finds success in 2020
By Christopher Heimerman
For the Illinois Press Association
BLOOMINGTON – Apple orchard and pumpkin patch operators can pick out a number of surprise benefits from doing business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a Thursday afternoon session at the virtual Illinois Specialty Crop Conference, operators of two of the state’s biggest such companies went over unforeseen boons – from a more productive relationship with government officials to more fruitful use of social media.
The biggest surprise, perhaps? Sales went up year-over-year, according to Chris Eckert, president of Eckert’s Country Store and Farms in Belleville.
Illinois orchards, pumpkin patches see growth during pandemic
Christopher Heimerman For The Telegraph
Jan. 8, 2021
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Chris Eckert, president of Eckert’s Country Store and Farms in Grafton, Belleville and Millstadt speaks during a virtual session of the Illinois Specialty Crop Conference on Thursday. Eckert said that, despite concerns, a shift to people having to make appointments to pick from the fields during the COVID-19 pandemic has worked well for the agribusiness. “While there was a lot of fear of it, acceptance was very high,” Eckert said.
BLOOMINGTON Apple orchard and pumpkin patch operators can pick out a number of surprise benefits from doing business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Christopher Heimerman & Illinois Press Association
• Jan 8, 2021
Sarah Frey sees and appreciates the irony when she looks out at her once-small family farm that became a big player in the specialty crops industry.
“This place I’d spent my entire life trying to escape from, in 2020, it became my escape,” said Frey, the founder of Frey Farms in southern Illinois and “Pumpkin Queen of America” in the words of the New York Times.
Frey was the keynote speaker Thursday at the annual Illinois Specialty Crop Conference, put on virtually by the Illinois Specialty Growers Association. She described to the audience how long before the COVID-19 pandemic saw people fleeing the congestion of cities, as a teenager she dreamt of stepping into a high-rise and ascending the elevator to her office.