Social media appeals helps Shrewsbury farmer in race to sell fruit
A farmer in Shrewsbury successfully used social media to save his business after a heatwave caused his strawberries to ripen faster than expected. By posting an urgent appeal on Facebook, he attracted enough customers to clear his stock before the fruit spoiled.
Why it matters
It highlights the critical role of digital platforms in helping small, local businesses manage supply chain volatility and perishable inventory.
Image source, BBC/Charlotte Benton Image caption, Joe Hamer, who owns Arscott Farm in Shrewsbury, posted an appeal on Facebook to encourage the public to visit his farm
A farmer has praised the power of social media for helping his business after the recent weather caused his fruit to ripen faster than he could sell it.
Joe Hamer, owner of Arscott Farm in Shrewsbury, posted an appeal on Facebook for people to attend its strawberry picking sessions as the heatwaves meant the fruit had grown and ripened "a lot quicker than normal".
The post led to the farm being "inundated" on Thursday morning with long queues for people to pay and the plants "stripped bare".
"We had more customers through the gate in the first hour [on Thursday] than we had all day yesterday, probably three times more," Hamer said.
He credited social media for keeping his farm going.
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