Earlier this year, Erica Moeller celebrated the opening weekend of her rolling market, The Roaming Root: a made-in-Alaska-goods-and-Alaska-grown-produce-packed 1976 bus. Just two weekends later, the COVID-19 murmur became a pandemic, forcing Moeller to evaluate the next right thing for her business and community. Like so many business owners across the state, she grappled with the decision to stay open or close the doors. Rolling with the changes was the best way forward, she decided.
Noticing that many stores were selling out of fresh food quickly, Moeller created a phone order system and took The Roaming Root “on tour.” Customers embraced her pivot to a delivery service for fresh food and local goods during the shelter-in-place order. Customers loved gaining access to fresh greens and more without having to venture out; some said Moeller was the only person outside their family with whom they’d interacted in weeks.
Today, The Roaming Root is back on the road, connecting Alaskans who grow and prepare fresh produce and goods with customers clamoring to consume them. Cleanliness practices, masks, and limiting customer numbers on the bus allow for a more regular and relaxed shopping experience. Word of mouth and community support allowed Moeller to adapt her existing business model to meet her mission of connecting producers and consumers in a natural, accessible way. Though the coronavirus pandemic was a challenging hit, it provided an opportunity to grow an online platform and leverage limited inventory to serve the community. Word of what The Roaming Root offers has spread fast, and Moeller looks forward to continuing the journey of feeding Alaskans local food throughout the summer.
This web story is sponsored by our partners at the Alaska Small Business Development Center.
