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Accessing the Urban Consumer Base: Challenges Faced by Local Producers

Accessing the Urban Consumer Base: Challenges Faced by Local Producers . Ethan Grundberg Farm Manager, Allandale Farm. The Fundamental Challenge. Producers want the cheapest available land to grow the most valuable products in a manner consistent with their values

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Accessing the Urban Consumer Base: Challenges Faced by Local Producers

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  1. Accessing the Urban Consumer Base: Challenges Faced by Local Producers Ethan Grundberg Farm Manager, Allandale Farm

  2. The Fundamental Challenge • Producers want the cheapest available land to grow the most valuable products in a manner consistent with their values • Consumers want the cheapest available products that are convenient to purchase and meet their minimum threshold of “responsible” production

  3. The Eastern Massachusetts Farm • High value specialty crops on small acreages (cranberries, apples, mixed vegetables, maple syrup, pastured poultry, nursery sales, pumpkins) • Hay, forest products, and/or horses to meet 61A requirements: gross ag sales of $500 on at least 5 acres, with an additional $5 per acre for each acre over 5 or 50 cents for additional acres of woodlands or wetlands

  4. Local Farmers’ Marketing Options • Direct to consumer: Farmers’ Markets, CSAs, Roadside Stands/Farm Stores

  5. Local Farmers’ Marketing Options • High value indirect markets: Small specialty shops, restaurants, farm-to-institution

  6. Local Farmers’ Marketing Options • Wholesale indirect markets: grocery stores, aggregators, processors, wholesalers

  7. Innovative Solutions • Small producer aggregation: World PEAS, Farm Direct Coop, Farm Fresh RI • Season extension/winter shares to compete with California • Urban production? • Boston Bounty Bucks

  8. Unresolved Challenges For local farmers and Consumers • Price point • Seasonality • Volume and consistency • Efficiency of production and purchase/carbon footprint

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