Market Farming

[Richard Stewart <rstewart AT zoomtown.com>]

Good question and not one that I am capable of answering.

My opinion of the the clause in the federal law is that it does a good job nailing down local especially for major metropolitan areas like Chicago and New York that have massive food demands.  I loathe such well defined ideas though since in my mind there is no difference between the farm that is 250 miles from San Francisco and one that is 250.5 miles.  This is a governments attempt to set clear definitions.  I also question the ability of a food producers to do direct sales to customers covering a 500 mile diameter.  If you are able to do business at that level, chances are you have crossed over into the 500K gross income area of the law.

I have questions about the law as well in regards to the percent of wholesale and how exactly wholesale is defined.  I am starting work with a small distributor that will be delivering our honey to local stores of a national chain and I need to keep extremely close tabs on my sales here vs direct sales (since there is also a 50% threshold in wholesale numbers as well).  Just because I discount my price but sells between two and three times the national wholesale price is it still wholesale? 

Was that the intent?  If I am local does having a single point of contact between me and the buyer make it less local (you buy honey an local chain and if the honey came off of hives 5 miles away who cares how it was distributed).  It goes on and on.

Lots of questions and less answers I think.

Ultimately, I think local means more the more you are involved with the local community...its not just about growing and selling local.  Its being a part of that community and that is hard to define or make into a law.  :)

Cheers!

Richard Stewart

Carriage House Farm

North Bend, Ohio

An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1855

(513) 967-1106

http://www.carriagehousefarmllc.com

rstewart AT zoomtown.com