MUSHROOM growers and local stock providers, the Ballarat Mushroom Farm is putting the call out for customers to continue buying their goods in a post-COVID environment.<\/p>\n
Manager Tanya Lunn said the farmgate shop provided a \u201csafe haven\u201d during the pandemic for people not wanting to go to large supermarkets.<\/p>\n
Now with restrictions easing, Ms Lunn said that interest has dwindled for the store, and is urging customers to continue their support.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe helped save some of the businesses out there, now we\u2019re relying on them to save us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe support was incredible last year during the pandemic, and we really filled a void for people wanting a regular supermarket at that time.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople have really gone back to their old ways now, and we\u2019ll only be as successful as the amount of customers who can come through the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, if we can\u2019t get people coming back, that\u2019ll be the end of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The store was founded during the pandemic solely as a way for Ms Lunn and her partner Monique to sell their mushrooms, before expanding to incorporate local and Australian-grown produce.<\/p>\n
Over the past two years, the shop has been adding more and more goods, and plans for further growth are being discussed such as a cafe, website, click-and-collect, and building extensions.<\/p>\n
Ms Lunn said they are gauging community interest to see whether the business can continue to expand and sustain itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just about getting everyone thinking about whether they want this business model to work and whether they want to support on a regular basis,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got fantastic ideas on where we\u2019d love to take it. But we need to weigh up the amount of time, money and effort that we\u2019re potentially putting into these add-ons.\u201d<\/p>\n
The callout has gone out via posts on the business\u2019s Facebook page, which Ms Lunn said has \u201cput it back on them\u201d and caused interest to spark once more.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe response for that has been amazing. We\u2019ve had so many apologies, so many reasons and excuses about why people haven\u2019t been coming back,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t need excuses. I don\u2019t need reasons. I just need people to come out and shop with us again.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ballarat Mushroom Farm is open from 9am to 5pm from Mondays to Fridays, and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MUSHROOM growers and local stock providers, the Ballarat Mushroom Farm is putting the call out for customers to continue buying their goods in a post-COVID environment. Manager Tanya Lunn said the farmgate shop provided a \u201csafe haven\u201d during the pandemic for people not wanting to go to large supermarkets. Now with restrictions easing, Ms Lunn […]<\/p>\n