Social Isolation in Fort Collins Doesn’t Mean Sacrificing Good Food

So You Want To Eat Good Local Food?

By J. Ken Conte

Erica Glaze, owner of the Pig and Plow bakery, had just gotten back from a week-long baking workshop in San Francisco that had invigorated her creativity and passion for locally sourced products. She was excited to bake and see her friends at the local farmers markets, deliver bread to her wholesale customers and continue to develop and grow her business, just as she had been doing the past six years.

Then the Corona Virus made her rethink her plans. Suddenly her production ground to a halt as social distancing made farmers markets nonexistent and restaurants began canceling orders. Ms. Glaze knew she had to adapt or face the fact that she may not have a business. Fortunately, her website was set up such that customers could order baked and other goods direct. She made a few phone calls to other local food companies, like Wild and Free Teas and Jodar Farms. They were experiencing the same dip in sales that had them suddenly swimming in product. The answer seemed simple: offer a variety of locally sourced products direct to consumers, delivering what they used to get at the farmers market to their front door.

“I knew we had to pivot, or we were done,” said Glaze. “I was already out delivering to some of my wholesale customers, like Beavers Market, so it made a lot of sense.”

It wasn’t quite as simple as it seemed, but, after just a few days, Erica had struck deals to deliver locally sourced meat and eggs from Jodar farms, locally sourced Wild and Free Fermented Teas, and locally sourced dog treats, micro greens and locally roasted coffee.

“Erica is a kindred spirit, so when she approached us about teaming up, it made a lot of sense,” said Rebecca Gassman of Wild and Free Fermented Teas. “We already deliver on our own, but adding all the other products really helps the environment and gives customers the option for healthy, locally sourced safe food, crafted right here in Northern Colorado.” 

But it wasn’t just about the fact that locally sourced food could be delivered to homes—it also meant customers could know how many people their food came in contact with because the supply chain was so short. “With our eggs, they are only typically touched by one very well-protected human prior to going into a carton, and that gives us and our customers peace of mind,” said Aaron Rice of Jodar Farms.

The Pig and Plow is also committed to customer safety: the small company sanitizes all delivery bins, and employees wear personal protective equipment when delivering goods, which they do sans personal interaction with customers. “We are so grateful to have customers support us. We keep getting more orders every week, and we hope people continue to avail themselves of our services even after this passes,” said Glaze.

You can see more about the locally sourced goods available at The Pig and Plow www.ThePigAndPlow.com; Wild and Free at https://www.wildandfreefermentedtea.com; and Jodar Farms at https://www.jodarfarms.com.