Sun Produce Cooperative in Tempe, Arizona, is a multi-stakeholder cooperative founded to help the state’s smaller-scale producers increase sales and preserve their farmland. It aggregates from more than 40 producers and sells their products through wholesale channels and a “farmraiser” farm bag program. Sun Produce has a penchant for coming...
Are you looking for ways to sell more produce to restaurants? As a local farmer or food hub, it can be hard to convince restaurants to buy fruits and vegetables (not to mention meat, dairy, eggs, herbs, prepared products, or anything else) from you rather than regional or national distributors....
High Country Food Hub in Boone, North Carolina, was founded in 2016 by the Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture to support local food producers through product storage, aggregation, and distribution. The organization operates as an online farmers market and has been powered by Local Food Marketplace since 2017. It sells...
Thriving local food systems provide numerous benefits including: boosted local economies, increased access to healthy food, and more sustainable use of our planet’s resources. Throughout our 16 years of supporting farms and food hubs through our online marketplace software, we’ve seen that regional food systems succeed when farmers and food...
Incorporating SMS (short for “short message service”) communication into a farm or food hub’s overall marketing and communication strategy has some clear benefits and is a great addition to your toolbox. Here are some important things to know about communicating via SMS that can maximize your success. Why SMS Should...
Do you sell beef, pork, chicken, lamb, or other types of meat from an online storefront? Selling meat online comes with its own set of challenges that can take some effort and creativity to overcome. We drew on interviews with two farmers, Robinette Farms and Brookford Farm, plus our own...
This spring, Local Food Marketplace is introducing a new look and new functionality to our storefront. We are thrilled to show off these changes, which are designed to provide an improved shopping experience for your consumer and increased sales for you. Introducing: The New LFM Storefront! These changes are very...
The Maui Hub began in response to an impending food security crisis on the island of Maui in the wake of COVID-19 business closures and slowing tourism. We spoke to Keith Ranney, Manager of Maui Hub, about the process of forming the hub, the bureaucratic and financial challenges they’ve faced,...
Vendors at the Boise Farmers Market The Boise Farmers Market is a food-centric and agriculturally based market, meaning that 95% of the vendors sell food and agricultural products. They are focused on local food, cultivating new farmers, incubating new food ideas, and creating a community space to learn about food...
The Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market pre COVID-19. Photo courtesy of Rachel Beyer. The Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market has been a central part of the city’s connection to local food for more than 45 years. Like many other markets around the country, they found themselves scrambling to safely open during the...