When the coronavirus first hit, Little Wild Things Farm at 2131 Lincoln Rd. NE in D.C., lost 80 percent of its business selling fresh produce to local restaurants and caterers in less than 48 hours.
Rather than give up, owner Mary Ackley quickly pivoted to a new business model.
Instead of wholesale, the urban farm based at the Carmelite Friars Monastery began selling directly to consumers with a subscription-based salad share available to most residents of the Route 1 corridor.
The shift is similar to other changes caused by the pandemic, with restaurants, caterers and even breweries on the Route 1 corridor moving to more home delivery. Ackley said the farm, which is run entirely by women — including two who apprenticed at ECO City — is likely to continue developing its delivery service in the coming year.
The next salad share will go out for delivery each Wednesday starting Jan. 27 to homes in ZIP codes for Woodridge, Mount Rainier, Brentwood, Hyattsville, Edmonston, Riverdale Park, University Park and College Park.
A typical share includes a blend of salad greens, a rotating selection of specialty microgreens, recipe ideas and a seasonal treat such as an edible flower or cocktail fixing. Prices range from $275 if you pick it up yourself to $350 for home delivery for 10 weeks.
You can sign up for the salad share here.
Little Wild Things Farm joins ECO City Farms in Edmonston and New Brooklyn Farms in Mount Rainier, two other urban farms located on the actual corridor.
