Rapp Resilience COVID-19 sparks adaptation, innovation

As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” So goes it for many Rappahannock businesses, community organizations, farms and churches. This is the first of several reports about how many of them have adapted and innovated during the COVID-19 crisis, and how they are planning to move forward in a post-COVID world. The stories are about entrepreneurs, community support, and old-fashioned “can-do” spirit.

‘COVID Couch Potato’

Mountainside Physical Therapy on Route 211 has remained open throughout the pandemic.

“Clients are returning now, but for a while I was the only one providing therapy services, and that was only half days,” said owner Annie Williams. “Once surgery centers start reopening I expect we’ll get busy again and I’m looking to add an additional physical therapist to the staff.”

She is also planning a “soft reopening” of her Mountainside Dance studio and in the meantime she and fellow dance instructor, Philip Rosemond, have offered online ballet lessons that “have worked pretty well.”

But she noted, “People are spending more time outside during the pandemic.”

Williams plans on holding more lessons, exercise classes, and walking programs outdoors. Additionally, she is exploring ways to hold outside performances.

“I think people are going to be reluctant to attend dance programs and other performing arts activities inside, so outside venues make sense,” she said.

For those who choose to stay indoors, Williams developed a free “COVID Couch Potato” exercise video that is being promoted by Rapp at Home, a local nonprofit that provides support for seniors in the county.

When Sperryville’s Stonewall Abbey Wellness had to shutter its facilities in March, owners Susan Huff and Gordon Wicks quickly pivoted to providing free online yoga and exercise classes as a way to stay connected with members and the community at large. As the weather became warmer, they began to hold classes outside with social distancing. Now the gym has partially reopened and outdoor classes have expanded.

If not for the COVID-19 shutdown “we would not have held many of our regular classes outside. Now we plan to hold them outdoors throughout the year, even in the colder weather,” says instructor Gordon Wicks (seen here, with Julie Nelson in the background) of Stonewall Abbey Wellness. (Photo/Luke Christopher)

Tracie Harron and Gordon Wicks performing wrist, elbow and shoulder conditioning exercises with a Shaolin staff. (Photo/Luke Christopher)

Caitlin Batchelor and Andrew Evans demonstrate the lizard pose during a Stonewall Abbey Wellness outdoor class in Sperryville. (Photo/Luke Christopher)

Susan Huff chats with student, Madison Kohler, after outdoor yoga class in Sperryville. (Photo/Luke Christopher)

“Without the shutdown we would not have held many of our regular classes outside,” said Wicks. “Now we plan to hold them outdoors throughout the year, even in the colder weather. When you’re outside doing yoga, Qigong, or martial arts, one can experience a special connection with the earth and all nature has to offer. I think that is especially important at this time.”

Although they have taken a “huge financial hit,” Wicks and Huff have been able to stay in business due to the “amazing support” from their members and other workarounds.

As to the future, Wicks said they are constantly thinking ahead about how to adapt.

“By focusing on the right things, we will be well prepared,” he said.

As the reopening moves forward, one concern is how best to address the needs of their older at-risk members.

“We may put together a hybrid program where we set aside several hours or special sessions for those who are in higher risk categories”.

Together for common good

When it became clear the Rappahannock Farmers’ Market in Sperryville could not operate as usual, vendors had to find a different way to sell their goods.

 “We wanted to come up with a system that would allow us to operate throughout the season no matter what happened,” said Stacey Carlberg, manager at The Farm at Sunnyside.

She worked with nine market vendors to implement online ordering with curbside pick-up.

“Pre-ordering online is very efficient for us and there is less waste. Vendors know what they have sold and don’t have to think about what people may want to buy at a traditional open market. We would certainly like to go back to an open-air market, but even when we reopen, I don’t see the online ordering service changing anytime soon.”

To keep their employees safe and improve efficiency, Sunnyside has suspended participation at farmers’ markets in the DC area. Instead, they have partnered with another vendor to make home deliveries.

“The delivery model worked well, especially in the early months of the pandemic, but it’s a big shift in how we market and fulfill orders. When you are in this business, planning a week out can be challenging because you run the risk of not having enough produce ready to fulfill orders,” Carlberg said.

Despite this difficulty, they plan to continue the delivery service “at least through the end of the year.”

Eric Ralls, with daughter, Mira, drive through the market picking up different goods. (Photo/Luke Christopher)

Mike Sands, of Bean Hollow Grassfed, participates in the Rappahannock Farmers’ Market and also runs a retail store at his farm on Bean Hollow Road.

“When the pandemic started, we adopted an e-commerce platform and tweaked our business model,” he said. “The online, curbside pick-up model is working well for us, and business has been very good.”

Sands attributes his success to a change in people’s purchasing preferences.

“They want safe, reliable and quality food sources. Buying local gives them that certainty.”

The increased consumer demand resulted in matching the operation’s 2019 annual sales volume by the first week of May.

Tipo and Wil Sands work the Bean Hollow Grassfed stand at the Rappahannock Farmers’ Market. (Photo/Luke Christopher)

Pen Druid Brewing closed its Sperryville tap room on March 15. Since then they have focused on selling their ales and cider through a distributor, direct shipping, and the curbside service at the Rappahannock Farmers’ Market.

Van Carney at Pen Druid Brewery (Photo/Luke Christopher)

“We’ve been very fortunate to have this time to reassess our business model and navigate a path forward during COVID,” said co-owner Van Carney. “By chance we had signed on with a statewide distributor in Richmond two weeks before the pandemic really kicked in, and we recently received a shipping license. Combined these are a great source of revenue and we’ll continue down this path even after we reopen the taproom.”

As to the future, Carney made this observation: “We can’t predict what will happen with COVID, but when we come together, good things happen. The current Rappahannock Farmers’ Market is a case in point. We could have closed it, but we found a way to keep it open . . . it’s American entrepreneurial spirit.”

“As soon as the shutdown went into effect we put all of the products in our store online, for curbside pick-up,” said Colleen O’Bryant of Wild Roots Apothecary. “Sales were trickling in, but not enough that we could sustain our business, which is quite dependent on walk-in traffic. We innovated with a new product offering, what we call ‘Community Supported Herbal Shares’ which is modeled after the Community Supported Agriculture concept for farming.”

O’Bryant says the new program combined with online sales will pay the bills in the short term.

Colleen O’Bryant of Wild Roots Apothecary (Photo/Luke Christopher)

“We’re also planning an online family herbalism course where you can learn more about herbs and combine it with visits to our Apothecary in Sperryville for a more ‘hands-on’ experience. Our shop is now open, but we are encouraging our patrons to shop online for curbside pick-up there or at the Sperryville Farmers’ Market.”