Lamoille County has an impressive array of farms and producers of value-added agricultural products. From small family farms to wineries, the Valley has promoted the localvore movement since before it was a trend.
The Lamoille Economic Development Corp has stepped to the plate, so to speak, to market farms and agricultural products more visibly and to support the ag community. With the help of an advisory group comprised of farmers and entrepreneurs, LEDC launched a local franchise of Yourfarmstand.com in July 2011. The project quickly became a viable way for small producers and large to distribute products and for customers to appreciate the “Bounty of the County.”
Marketing and Supporting Family Farms
Yourfarmstand.com is an on-line farmers’ market which saves the farmer valuable time, cuts down on the distance food travels to the consumer, and brings the freshest and tastiest food within reach of busy buyers. Unlike a traditional CSA, consumers buy only what they want, when they want it and pay as they go. Farmers, even those who sell to larger distributors such as Black River Produce, can find new customers for their “brands” through Yourfarmstand.com And for budding entrepreneurs, it’s a good way to learn and experiment with marketing.
Farmers list their products for sale on the site, and customers buy only the products they need. All payment is transacted securely through Pay Pal. On market day (Thursday), vendors drop off their goods in baskets marked for each customer. Customers stop by at Rock Art Brewery to pick up their basket of goods, kept fresh just for them. The entire transaction takes about 5 minutes.
Building a Network for Ag Promotion
The Yourfarmstand.com project provides a handy network on which to build other projects to promote the County’s agriculture infrastructure. Agri-tourism is a fine way to bring business to area farms, and to make people aware of the importance of agricultural businesses to the community.
We have only to step into the Stowe Visit Center to hear that a “visit to a farm” is one of the most popular requests. And the success of bicycle tours to farms, breweries, fiber producers (llama farms) and localvore restaurants in other Vermont regions can be replicated in Lamoille Valley with similar success. Everyone benefits when the tourist dollar enters the community system this way.
Projects on the drawing board for LEDC include a farm tour partnership with the Stowe Resort, and an on-line and brochure-type map of Lamoille County Farms which are open to visits and tourism. As bicycle paths are developed in the region, they create another venue for farm to brewery visits, and the like. The popular “Tour de Farms” staged in the Champlain Valley are testament to how popular and lucrative these can be for market-savvy agriculturalists.
No comments:
Post a Comment