Homestead mailing list

["Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw AT chilitech.net>]

From: "VAN DELL JORDAN" <vdjor AT yahoo.com>
> Has anyone considered a cooperative where different
> producers would communicate with each other to make
> sure that the right amount of each thing is available
> as much as possible??

It's so hard to organize farmers. They grow what they want, and there's
such a long leadtime, crop failures, etc. I can't always get them to tell
me if they'll show up at the market next week, let alone what they will
bring.

>> Has anyone looked into some kind of cooperative
> agreement with local food stores, or maybe even some
> other business that is already there??

I tried to do this last year. Large grocery stores (even the one that
advertises "local farmers"..I found out that means local to their
distribution warehouse far away) demand $1 million liability insurance,
and don't guarantee that they will buy what you have...you show up, and
they decide if they need what you are selling or if they already have
enough. There's also a local restaurant broker who doesn't care about
quality and pays bottom prices for everything. We don't have the large
farmstand here like they do in southern NJ, where I grew up...they are an
institution there, and several farms often share a stand.

There's a Chinese restaurant whose owner (rumor has it) is looking for
Asian greens, which grow well here. There's also a gourmet restaurant that
features local seasonal foods...both good possibilities. That's what I
want to talk to the Small Business consultant about; how to start that
kind of coop, how to approach these restaurants, etc. I'd like to work
with schools, too, and I actually know a principal who wants to do this,
but their season is out of sync with the farm season. Everything would
have to be processed and frozen, and I don't know if anyone has that kind
of freezer space.

Lynn Wigglesworth
Cowbridge Farm