Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Quarles met with Bowling Green business owners and other stakeholders today to discuss the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on their industry and to thank them for being a part of the farm economy. (Kentucky Department of Agriculture photo).
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Bowling Green restaurants, chefs, stakeholders meet with Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner during 'Restaurant Roundtables'
Kentucky Proud Buy Local restaurants give insight to challenges faced during COVID-19 pandemic
BOWLING GREEN (April 21, 2021) – Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Quarles has been making rounds across the state this month for his “Restaurant Roundtables” series to thank Kentucky small business owners and chefs for sourcing food from Kentucky farms and hear firsthand about the challenges they faced during the coronavirus pandemic. Today, he met with several Bowling Green small business owners and chefs to continue these discussions.
“With spring already here and summer right around the corner, visitors are once again finding their way to the Bluegrass state. Being home to many attractions and one of our great universities, Bowling Green is a destination where Kentucky’s hospitality industry is on full display,” Commissioner Quarles said. “Across the state, this industry was one of the hardest hit during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite those challenges, our Kentucky Proud Buy Local restaurants continued to support local farmers. These Restaurant Roundtables are one way I can personally thank them for being part of the farm economy and hear directly from these small business owners about how they survived during the pandemic. It’s time to reopen Kentucky.”
“Today’s roundtable gave us answers on ways to navigate the reopening of business and allowed us to regain some hope for the future of Kentucky farms and restaurants,” said Brie Golliher, owner of Boyce General Store and The Pie Queen.
The Commissioner has already made stops in Lexington and Louisville with future Restaurant Roundtable stops in Owensboro, London, and northern Kentucky. Each roundtable will follow recommended Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for social distancing and mask wearing. Those taking place in the forum are participants in the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Kentucky Proud Buy Local program for restaurants, caterers, schools, and other food service participants that source and support local farms. Offered by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, this program rewards participants for enhancing their menus with locally-sourced Kentucky Proud farm ingredients. The Buy Local program is funded by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.