Market Farming

[Vern and Amy <vaspencer AT sisna.com>]

We are involved in something like that-- SixRiversMarket.com

This is a local online system where local producers advertise what they 
have to sell, can set quantities available that the computer system 
keeps track of while people order.  Customers order anytime Friday 
through Monday the specific items from the specific producer that they 
want.  The producer gets it to the distribution center with the label 
for each customer on each item (or one package for each 
customer--producer's choice) on Wed. early afternoon and customers pick 
up late afternoon to early evening.  The producer is paid when they 
deliver to the hub, and the customers pay either online or when they 
pick up that day.

It started as a non-profit co-op, but wasn't run well and was given over 
to a businessperson this spring.  We are in the process of rebuilding 
our customer base.  Each producer sets the price for his own product, 
can add, subtract, change prices at any time, but if it is during the 
order cycle, the manager has to update it from their end.  The market 
takes 6 percent from the price set by the producer, and adds tax and I 
think percent from the consumer as well.

We drop off product on our way to Farmer's Market and if we have ordered 
anything ourselves, we pick it up after market.  The nice thing is we 
know what is sold before we even pick it.  The downside is if we only 
have one order we still have to get it there, but it is only a couple 
blocks from Wed. market and during the winter we can either keep going 
or take a break.

I don't know how Local Orbit works.

Vern
Vern's Veggies and More!