"Necessity is the mother of invention" is currently the unofficial motto of the German fruit and vegetable sector. In many places, people are trying to compensate for losses caused by the Corona-virus. Some people are implementing plans that have actually been in the back of their minds for quite some time. Mathias Kroll, for example, has now purchased a vending machine for his mushrooms."I had been toying with the idea for some time, but the pandemic was the impetus to implement it.'
He had seen the idea at a grower's in the neighboring village and was thrilled. However, due to the current restrictions, the acquisition of the system was not so easy. "To get the whole thing up and running quickly, I decided to buy a used machine from a Dutch supplier. It is now standing above ground, over the production site. So far the offer has been very well received."
The machine is used by all kinds of people: "Some consumers don't dare to go to the weekly market at the moment and therefore prefer the vending machine. But the location is also well situated, regardless of the virus: For elderly people from my neighbourhood, the weekly market is often too far away - these people now only have to go as far as the vending machine." The location on a main road should also have advantages as soon as Offenbach returns to normality: "During rush hour, many people pass the vending machines and are able to stop and pick up mushrooms there."
In addition to mushrooms, the vending machines also sell other products from local suppliers, such as an Offenbach cheese dairy. This gave Kroll an idea: "When the Corona crisis is over, I would like to organize a kind of 24/7 weekly market together with other producers from the Frankfurt and Offenbach area. For this purpose, I would like to set up various vending machines with fresh produce at a fixed location, which are accessible throughout, even for people who normally do not have time to come to a weekly market."
For more information:
Mathias Kroll
Edelpilzzucht Kroll
Bieberer Straße 269
63071 Offenbach am Main
+49 176 32765969
www.krolls-edelpilze.de
edelpilze-kroll@web.de
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