Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 N OV E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 2 0 startups across the country that will transform their industry. e app has 21 buyers in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Iowa and New Mexico, and more than 400 suppliers in those states as well as Vermont and Kansas. Forager accounts for $250,000 to $400,000 a month in local food volume and Stone estimates that it's used for 5% of Maine's local food transactions. "COVID hurt us in the beginning, but now it's opening up new markets," he says. 'Local community stepped up' At the Portland Food Co-op, General Manager John Crane said solid rela- tionships with local producers paid off at the store when pandemic reality set in. Other stores that rely on the tradi- tional supply chain had empty shelves, but the co-op thrived. "When it hit, and the stores were see- ing a run on everything, we didn't have the same scarcity," he says. "e local food community really stepped up." Relationships with local produc- ers came in handy, especially for meat and poultry, as large processing plants across the country shut down because of COVID-19 outbreaks. But local contacts also made it easier to get hold of items like kale, or ingredients for sourdough bread, Crane says. When the co-op was running short on something, he'd put the call out to producers. A lot of that was made pos- sible through Forager, where buyers can search specific products, but he also picked up the phone and called around, the old-fashioned way. Nine months into the pandemic, the co-op, which has been in business since 2014, has developed a broader network of suppliers as well as a throng of new customers. Demand for healthy food An October survey commissioned by Forager found that more than 90% of consumers think it's important to feed their family fresh healthy food, that they Protecting dreams. Building assets. TheFirst.com/WealthManagement Individual | Nonprofit | Municipal RESPONSIBILITY FIRST Securities and investment products are not bank deposits, are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency, are not obligations of, nor guaranteed by, any bank or bank affiliate, and may involve investment risk, including the possible loss of value or principal amount invested. Our focused teams put you first. Perkins Thompson understands that financial institutions require a wide range of legal services. That's why we've put together one of the most experienced teams of financial attorneys in Maine. Let our experience and perspective simplify your next new business venture. Portland | Kennebunk perkinsthompson.com C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » When [the pandemic] hit, and the stores were seeing a run on everything, we didn't have the same scarcity. — John Crane Portland Food Co-op

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