Teens in Action: High Schoolers Helping Local Farmers Market and
Community With Technology
Team members: Angela - The Harker School Betsy - The Harker School Brian - Monta Vista High School Alan - Lynbrook High School
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Although all businesses have been impacted, the ones that are hit hardest are small, local businesses. Walking down the street in the Bay Area, you would be able to point out numerous restaurants or stores. These businesses rely on a steady stream of consumers in order to keep surviving. Farmers markets are one such type of business. Our idea to support these businesses all started when one of our team members, Besty, noticed a significant decrease in the number of customers at a local farmers market after quarantine. As the farmers market is an essential part in many farmers’ income, we brainstormed ideas of how to support these markets. Eventually, we decided that building an online ordering platform would be extremely beneficial to both the farmers and the community under the current circumstances. As of now, the most critical component of our online ordering service is achieved through a Google form. The customers order online using this platform, choosing between a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. We are also looking to expand to different product options, such as ramen! The customers make the orders before every Wednesday, and the farmers will pre-package the orders and send them to the Creekside Farmers’ Market in Cupertino on every Friday morning for customer pick up. This win-win solution not only provides convenience for customers, but also allows the farmers to gain a more accurate view about the amount of produce they should bring to the market as well as increased customers willing to buy their products. More importantly, it minimizes the human-to-human interaction and potential infection of the virus. This service is loved by the community. Although we are only one week in, we were able to amass a total of 78 orders and facilitate $1,902 in sales! With the pandemic continuously sweeping around the globe, as teens-in-action, we are eager to contribute and help those who need it the most.
We have made a video demonstrating the technologies we used as well.