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With spring arriving at the same time that St. Louis area restaurants are closing their dining rooms temporarily amid the COVID-19 crisis, farmers' markets, food producers, and CSAs are quickly pivoting to more safely serve customers and residents in need.

At least one local farmers' market, Tower Grove Farmers' Market, solicited feedback on Facebook about switching to a drive-through market to keep the flow of local produce to its customers. It plans to launch a website in which customers can select from three different box options—plant-based, vegetarian, or omnivore—place the order by noon on Thursday, and drive through for pick up on Saturday.

At the same time, with many restaurants closing temporarily or even permanently, it poses an immediate challenge to local suppliers. Restaurant consultant and chef Rex Hale is helping to mobilize dozens of producers to solve what to do with an abundance of fresh food that will soon perish, an idea that's evolving by the minute.

"All the people we're talking to want to help," says Hale. "We're figuring out how to get fresh produce that will otherwise perish to people who need it at no cost, working with church leaders on both sides of the river who've formed cooperatives."

In addition to donating perishable produce, producers such as Marcoot Jersey Creamery and Raincrow Ranch will donate more sustainable foods to help people in need. Other producers will help with transportation. Also in the works: an e-commerce site where farms can post their inventory.

And with the launch of Fair Shares' 13th season next week, co-founder Sara Hale (no relation to Rex Hale) is concerned about suppliers and hopes that the pandemic brings a greater awareness of the importance of supporting small, local producers.

"We hope that after this all passes, consumers will continue to support a safer, smaller food chain," says Sara Hale. "The benefits aren’t only your personal health but the health of the local economy and our local producers, whom we desperately need to support to keep our food supply strong and safe."

Sara Hale says buying locally minimizes the number of hands that touch food before it reaches the consumer. Fair Shares, a CCSA (combined community-supported agriculture), is making plans to adjust the pickup procedure, such as taking bags at the door and filling them while customers wait. The CCSA also has an option at one location where customers can pick up pre-filled bags.