Hometown Produce’s Zimmerman: Healthy Diet Beats Fear

Rob Zimmerman (far right), director of operations at Hometown Produce Co., a Canfield wholesaler and retailer of fruits and vegetables, is hanging tough, along with his parents and colleagues, Toni and Robert Zimmerman. You can read more about Hometown Produce at its website.   

What are some ways the COVID-19 outbreak has changed your work life?

There was, of course, the initial downtick in business as the pandemic made its way through our Valley. We immediately felt the effects of the foodservice industry shutting down so quickly and were just as unprepared as most everyone. That said, thanks to the swift thinking of our incredible staff and dedication to our community, we were able to pull together quickly and find what we feel was a very much needed and appreciated move towards servicing the general public. We have converted one cooler into strictly servicing and housing our curbside pickup orders, and our staff is all working full-time to fulfill the tremendous response of the community!

How about your personal life?

Being a full-time working father and husband and seeing how devastating this was to friends and relatives who have lost their means of employment has been very humbling. To be working now and to be doing what we are doing is really a blessing. It’s great to see so many smiles as people we know and visit with daily come through for their weekly fills of fresh goodies! I truly feel for the families that are at home with kids and struggling to make sense of all this.

What steps are you taking to hang tough?

Being in the foodservice industry, we’ve always held ourselves to a higher standard in food service, safety and handling. We have since stepped up our standards to include extra sanitization of all shop equipment, incorporating food-grade gloves into our handling of product and requiring all staff at all times to wear appropriate masking and follow CDC guidelines.

What advice are you sharing with the people you love?

We are encouraging our loved ones and family to not be afraid. Fear is unhealthy no matter the circumstance and this is definitely not a time for that! We encourage each other to get out and exercise daily! Some fresh air and sunshine really will do wonders for your mood! Add in a healthy diet of fruits and veggies and you can’t help but be making the best out of our current situation!