Global Gardens Meets New Challenges Head-On

Story and Photography by Gustavo Sagrero

It was near the beginning of the pandemic shutdown and Rabiou Manzo was sick. He was tired. He and his team had new pandemic policies to organize for, and educational materials to prepare for their farmers. But Manzo could barely get out of bed. As a program manager for Global Gardens, his small administrative team, as well as the group of independent farmers (mostly underserved people, including refugees), depended on him. Things were already looking like a challenge this coming season, and all of that that was before Manzo caught COVID-19.

“I had no energy to get out, to get groceries, to make orders. It was almost impossible,” he said.

But it wasn’t only Manzo feeling the crunch. According to Farm Manager for Global Gardens Roscoe Oswald, at the beginning of the year some farmers weren’t having the best season either.

“Farmers were frustrated, and nervous,” said Oswald.

Manzo and Oswald are only half of the administrative team, working with Hannah Roche, their Food Hub Coordinator, and Tiera Lewis, a recent addition to their administrative crew. Anxieties were high; restaurants had begun to shut down, including many local spots that sourced their produce from Global Gardens. Their usual methods of conducting business were facing a big challenge because of the pandemic. Something needed to be done.

It was while Manzo was recovering from COVID-19 that he came to the idea of a direct delivery service, where the farmers’ CSA items would be brought straight to the homes of ordering patrons. The team moved quickly to make it a reality.

“I like slow growth, in increments, trying out pilot programs,” said Oswald, speaking to the true nature of farmers. “But this was a time to take a jump at opportunity”.

In addition to their presence at the Boise Farmers Market, patrons can get produce from Global Gardens through their own online storefront. There is still the traditional pick-up locations, but now there’s an added 3 section where patrons can have their produce delivered to their door for an additional fee. They’ve been getting so many orders as a whole that it’s become a concern when considering COVID-19 guidelines, forcing them to expand their pick-up options.

As the season progressed, their grit and willingness to adapt helped turn things around. The new structure of the Boise Farmers Market was an unexpected, but welcome advantage; increasing efficiency back at the farms as purveyors now knew how much to pick before they stepped out to harvest from their fields. The community wanted to keep buying local produce, and the farmers wanted to make sure they got it.

Oswald has been inspired by the competition at the market and locals’ desire for good produce. “There’s a good energy”, he said as Boise Farmers Market volunteers, including the mayor, moved around him with fulfilled orders as customers waited patiently in their cars. Manzo, now months away from falling ill and recovering, was working quickly to stay on top of filling orders in the distance.

Despite all the hurdles they’ve cleared, there’s still a lot of ground to cover, and even as October marks the winding-down of the season, they’re not ready to call it quits just yet. With eyes to the oncoming winter, “My goal is to expand our season, to go beyond the fall” said Manzo; he’s working on getting chickens for farmers and finding new ways to preserve produce for winter sales, experimenting with canning and drying products.

“It’s a good sign the city appreciates local food” said Oswald as he sees the consistent line of cars waiting to pick up their produce. Whether that demand keeps going into winter months is up in the air. But as a whole, Global Gardens’ intentions show they’re here for the long haul; they’ve been part of the local community since 2004 and they're not willing to let a pandemic get in the way of sticking around.