‘Fresh & Local’ Big Y names Springfield distribution center to emphasize relationship with local farmers
Derrick Turnbull, owner of Autumn Mist Farm in Agawam, had a problem this spring when coronavirus restrictions shut down businesses. He’d been raising beef cattle since he was an 11-year-old 4-H member, slowly building up 130 cow and calf pairs on 100 acres, with 600 more acres under lease growing crops to feed them. Turnbull’s primary customers were restaurants and college dining facilities interested in serving fresh and local foods. Enter the pandemic, and COVID-19 shut those down while the cattle kept growing on the family-run farm and getting ready for market.