iFarmers

We talk farmers markets a lot on The Garden Plot.  Now, Cassandra Daily reports that farmers are seeking new ways to reach diverse consumer groups without having to set up shop weekly. Among the new technologies they’re implementing are digital marketplaces that marry the ease of online shopping with the feel-good factor of locavorism.  Here are just a few:

FarmersWeb eliminates the need for middlemen by connecting buyers directly with farmers. The wholesale management tool and online marketplace allows store owners, chefs and schools to find farms within 300 miles of their location, view available produce, and order items from multiple vendors at once.

Good Eggs: San Francisco-based start-up Good Eggs is an e-commerce site that aims to build human connections by linking consumers with nearby farms and artisanal food companies. Good Eggs eventually hopes to support tens of thousands of food vendors nationwide, and to better integrate technology within the locavore system. 

Read more on Cassandra Daily here. And, let me know what you think!

-Katie @KatieGMG

Farming 2.0

In just the past year, we have blogged about urban farming five times.  Obviously, farming has seen a relentless upsurge as both a profession and a pastime.

Cassandra Daily, a trend research firm, has recently discovered how technology is addressing these small scale farmers and helping them do their jobs better.

Sustaination: There are numerous environmental, cultural, and economic benefits to buying local, but the hassle involved can preclude wholesale food buyers from abandoning the mega-farm system. Enter Sustaination, a UK-based social network that connects growers with nearby businesses, in turn encouraging and streamlining local trade.

Farmhopping: Take the crowdfunding capabilities of Kickstarter, add the collaborative spirit of co-ops, and apply the share-model premise popularized by local CSAs, and you’ll end up with Farmhopping, a forthcoming network that lets members buy into Bulgarian farmers’ livestock in exchange for a say in how the animals are handled.

Bucky Box: Software platform Bucky Box is a New Zealand-based “digital operations team” designed to help small farmers simplify the logistical challenge of delivering their produce. Its founders (one of whom was inspired by his work for micro-farm trading network Ooooby) aim to make local, sustainably produced foods more accessible to the public.