King Hill Farm Sales Fell 60% As Blue Hill Co-op's Orders Stalled
The co-op, which buys from more than 40 regional farms, says staff turnover and disorganized ordering hurt growers during harvest.
Kevin Gadsby, general manager of the Blue Hill Co-op, says the nonprofit grocery is rebuilding its produce department after months of disrupted ordering hurt local growers during the height of the harvest. King Hill Farm co-owners Amanda Provencher and Paul Schultz, based in Penobscot, said the co-op essentially stopped placing orders and answering messages starting in May, leaving them to scramble for other outlets before food spoiled. Three other area growers, Four Season Farm of Brooksville, Moonbeam Farm of Blue Hill and Blue-Zee Farm of Penobscot, described the same experience. At a co-op board meeting held July 23, Schultz said his farm's sales this spring and summer had fallen roughly 60%. Gadsby said staff turnover left the produce department, which buys from more than 40 regional growers, without documented procedures during its busiest stretch of the year. Representatives of seven Peninsula farms met with co-op leaders on July 9, and outside consultants brought in about a week later initially ordered produce from larger farms in southern Maine, unaware of local growers' expectations. Board president Aaron Dority acknowledged at the July 23 meeting that the co-op had let farmers down, and Gadsby said new ordering rules, staff training and a yearly grower meeting are planned, Penobscot Bay Press reported.
This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.
