Business booming for Davis Feed Supply during COVID-19 crisis

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

The community's most anticipated sunflower field festival, hosted by the Davis Feed family ever summer, has been cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With heavy hearts, the Davis family was forced to close their doors on guests, who have waited all year to get a peek at their enormous acreage of sunflowers. 

Each year, the Davis family hosts the two-week festival, raising funds for the Canadian Celiac Association. One dollar out of each admission fee is donated to the charity, which led to the farm raising roughly $16,000 last year.

While this year's festival may not be happening, the local family is continuing on with its fundraising efforts, albeit in a much different, shutdown-friendly way.  

Davis Feed Supply has begun individual sunflower seed sales, each selling for $4, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the CCA.

“The main reason we open the sunflower field is to raise money for the Canadian Celiac Association. The past month we've been brainstorming on another way to raise money, because charities are kind of hit the hardest right now with all that's going on in the world,” said Sean Davis. “So, we thought why don't we sell the sunflower seeds and allow people to have their own little sunflower festival in their backyard, where everybody's spending most of their time now.”

Davis Feed have been taken aback by the response to their sunflower seed sales, surprised by how busy they are packaging, mailing or organizing pickups for those purchasing the seeds. The festival usually attracts large numbers of people, thousands to be specific, who look forward to seeing the fields of sunflowers. 

“It's been fun. It's shocking us a little bit, especially with being able to put it in just a normal envelope and mail it to somebody for a couple bucks. It's so cool to see who ordered. We've had orders from Edmonton, Yellowknife, Quebec, New Brunswick,” said Davis. “We're kind of enjoying this new little thing we have going on.” 

After launching the individual packs of seeds on May 30, the Davis's have raised around $4,800 thus far. While things are going well, they fear they won't be in a position to donate as much money as they have in recent years.  

“We've always been able to raise around $16,000 for the Canadian Celiac Association. Knowing what's going on, we definitely won't be able to hit that goal. We would love to try, though. When I go home from Davis Feed Supply, I keep planning on how I can still try to hit some of that goal,” explained Davis. “That's what's driving us. Seeing how what we can come up with new ideas to hit that goal.” 

Though the provincially-mandated order preventing public gatherings, due to COVID-19 pandemic, remains in place, Davis Feed Supply has been busier than ever as Ontario continues its phased approach to reopening the economy. With being not only a feed supplier, garden centre, and a hardware store as well, business has been booming. 

“Ever since COVID-19 has started, things have been so, so busy for us. A lot of people have a little more time to do some backyard projects and working around the house. We're selling a lot of fertilizers, a lot more backyard chickens,” said Davis. “It took us a little bit to grasp to the changes of curb-side pickup, but things have been going well for us.”

Operation hours have changed, with the farm now closed on weekends to limit exposure and traffic of people. They allow one person at a time into their hardware store on-site, and continue to encourage curb-side pickups to residents to follow physical distancing rules. Their first priority revolves around allowing the community to receive their orders, but in the safest way possible. 

“If somebody would put in an order at the garden centre, for example, and if it was a senior, we would close at 5 p.m., but I would meet them around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. so they can come pick up their flowers and there's nobody around other than myself,” expressed Davis. “It's always good to add those protocols for people, and everybody has enjoyed them because they don't have to that worry.” 

To learn more about Davis Feed Supply, or to support the Canadian Celiac Association by purchasing and growing your own sunflower field, please visit davisfeed.ca.