Better Farming – September 2016

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34 Farm News First > Better Farming September 2016
establishing a farmgate store would
take more time than they have right
now. Nor do they want to do some-
thing that would compromise their
brand of everything bred, born and
raised on the farm. “We are trying to
grow realistically,” Rob says.
With those goals and challenges in
mind, becoming involved in the Farm
to City program makes sense.
“With us being a smaller farm,
unless it’s pre-ordered, you’re going to
be waiting three to four weeks for it
– and sometimes even longer if (we)
don’t have beef ready to go,” Rob
explains. “We’re getting to the point
where we’re having beef readily
available all the time, and that’s the
thing with the Farm to City online
store that would make it that much
easier. People can go on, they can
order, they can plan ahead and then
boom, there’s a pickup location or
drop-off location so they’re all set for
that.”
Wuermli says the organization’s
market research shows drop-off
points create greater convenience for
customers than the more traditional
freezer trade model where buyers seek
out the producer and go to the farm.
The approach also allows producers
to plan production, which means they
can achieve production and cost
savings as well as establish relation-
ships with customers, she adds.
Van Groningen says the model of
combining an online store with
drop-off points avoids the scale
requirements behind establishing a
retail space. For the business that he
owns and operates with his three
brothers, the model is proving to be
more efficient than going to a farmers
market. “You don’t have to be there,
for start; you don’t have to load the
truck at 3 a.m. or anything and get
there and be there for most of the day,
and depending on how far you drive
it’s going to be maybe three hours or
something,” he says.
Plus, all sales transactions have
already been completed. “The prob-
lem with farmers markets for us is
that it’s never a guaranteed sale,” he
says. “There could be times when you
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Maryjo and Rob Tait and their children, newborn Emily, and Alexander.