TORONTO -- A Prince Edward Island pig farmer has found a unique way to deliver his pork products in a time of physical distancing, by tossing his hams to drive-thru customers from his back porch.
Ranald MacFarlane, who runs the Precious Pork farm, said it wasn鈥檛 inspiration but desperation that brought about the new sales technique. His regular farmers market was closed after a province-wide public health emergency was declared last week.
鈥淚 got caught with a freezer full of pork, unopened and perfectly saleable, so I just put a box of frozen hams at the back door,鈥 MacFarlane told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.
鈥淐ustomers throw me some money and I throw it (pork) into their open car.鈥
MacFarlane, who also takes e-transfers, said customers call ahead, text or message him. He makes up the order and keeps it in an upright freezer near the back door.
鈥淭hey throw money at me wrapped in toilet paper, we take toilet paper as currency,鈥 he joked.
鈥淚鈥檝e got a coffee cup tied to a hockey stick in case we have to exchange a cheque.鈥
He added that Canada鈥檚 plastic currency is also robust enough to disinfect.
While MacFarlane鈥檚 nearest neighbours self isolate, he leaves ham in their post box and they return the favour with quarantine cookies.
Customers are 鈥渇airly irregular鈥 MacFarlane told CTVNews.ca, with two or three a day visiting his backyard for pork or eggs. They also keep some hens.
Describing himself as a 鈥渟mall scale free range farmer,鈥 MacFarlane started his business 20 years ago and has 100 pigs on his land.
While he says isolation is 鈥済reat for now鈥 he wouldn鈥檛 want to be under 鈥渇arm-arrest鈥 for too much longer.
鈥淚 love it. I鈥檓 just being myself and getting a lot done on the farm,鈥 MacFarlane said.
