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BELFAST, Maine — Most years, mid-March is a slow time for the Winter Buying Club at Bahner Farm in Belmont, as the season winds down and the amount of produce available dwindles.





Not this year.

Christa Bahner noticed that orders for items such as fresh spinach, carrots, salad mix and bread began taking off on the weekend of March 14, and only stopped when the farm cut off early orders. When the farmers were able to catch their breath, they realized gross sales for the week were more than double their Thanksgiving sales week — and a more than tenfold increase from their typical March business.

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“Boy, is there demand for local food,” she said. “It was totally unexpected.”

But in a world reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, the unexpected is quickly becoming the norm. Along with farms such as the Bahner Farm, local businesses Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Winslow and Fedco Seeds in Clinton have been overwhelmed by sudden demand. Customers around Maine and the nation — stuck inside and uncertain of the future — have turned some attention toward seed catalogs.