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Food Business Resources

If you’re a food producer looking to establish a virtual
presence or expand your customer base, check out these
helpful resources.

Software guide

Dozens of platforms currently support direct sales to
customers for farmers, food hubs and farmers markets.
In early 2020, the National Young Farmers Coalition
published a helpful guide to 18 of them. It highlights costs,
what each provides, and makes recommendations based on
“Now shoppers have options with the online and drive- sales models. For more, visit www.youngfarmers.org/wp-
thru for pick up as well as in-person market. It’s been great for content/uploads/2020/04/Farmers-Guide-to-Direct-Sales-
our customers and for our farmers,” Glenski notes. By the end Software-Platforms.pdf
of summer, sales were nearing $180,000 through the Farmers’
Market Hub alone. Financing
Cathy Moenning of Moenning Meat Company says the
new system allows them to stay in touch with customers who
can no longer go out. “It feels good to know they still want our Compeer Financial, a member-owned, Farm Credit
bacon, pork, and beef,” says Cathy’s 14-year-old son, John, who’s cooperative, provides loans, leases, risk management and
learning the family business. “Even though they can’t come here, other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois,
we feel connected, and that seems really important right now.” Minnesota and Wisconsin. They offer a flexible loan
For market vendor Hiawatha Honey, the online platform program for farmers selling products directly to consumers,
augmented the work they’d already done to establish a virtual as well as grants for existing clients.
presence. Melody Gilbertson, owner of preserve company
Flavor in Jar, shared the impact it had on her business: “It was “The Compeer Financial Farmers Market Grant Program
something I’d always thought of doing. This was the initial has two different grant options,” says Sai Thao, Senior
push I needed to get a website up.” Lending Officer for Compeer, “one designed
The system has also expanded the market’s customer to help organizations and another for farmers directly.”
base. “Some shoppers use the online system to order an entire
week’s worth of groceries for pick up,” explains Glenski. The organization grants help orgs enhance services
“Others order some of the more popular items ahead and to consumers and vendors, benefiting all who utilize
pick them up as they stroll through the aisles and shop the market. They’re geared toward marketing efforts,
spontaneously. We also offer delivery services, which have technology advancements, educational opportunities
been great for those who can’t leave their homes or who are for vendors or market management staff or conducting
in high-risk categories. These are vulnerable people who need research studies.
fresh, nutritious food now more than ever.”
While COVID may have spurred the transformation at The vendor grants are designed to help farmers with
the market, customers and farmers alike see the addition of education, marketing or technology advancements and
the Online Farmers Market as a valuable community resource, can include branding, website creation, or mobile payment
providing additional income for regional farmers while technology products (excluding cell phones).
safely connecting consumers to the freshest food. For more
details on the market’s online and in person schedules, visit Both grants are accepting applications from Oct.1 to Nov.
www.rochfarmmkt.org. To find other online markets across 15, 2020. To qualify, you must be a current client of Compeer
Minnesota, see farmersmarkethub.org. Financial. For terms, conditions and applications, contact
grants@compeer.com or call (844) 426-6733.
Beth Dooley is an Endowed Chair, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable
Agriculture, a James Beard-winning writer and author of eight Compeer’s clients are also eligible for a 15% discount on their
cookbooks, columnist for the Star Tribune, and appears regularly on first year’s subscription to Local Line—an E-commerce and
MPR’s Appetites. Her most recent work, The Perennial Kitchen is delivery platform. For more (and a free trial), visit localline.ca
focused on regenerative agriculture.
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