Women in Ag Take on Farm to Fork Ventures

Jennifer Merritt
Virginia Correspondent

WEYERS CAVE, Va. — Four years ago Molly Harris started Edible Garden in Richmond, Virginia. Harris cultivated relationships with several farmers and producers so she could use the finest local ingredients in her restaurant. Soon her customers wanted to be able to use those same ingredients at home.

“I often had customers ask ‘Where can I buy this product?’” said Harris.

Harris sent them to the farmer’s market, and as an added benefit frequently had customers come to Edible Garden for lunch on their way home from the market. When fall came, however, the farmers markets closed for the season.

At the same time the economy dove into recession. Within a two week period Harris saw two multigenerational farms fail and knew that if things continued at that rate she could loose her own business. She depended on local producers for her raw ingredients, but also for the restaurant’s concept. A local foods restaurant couldn’t survive without local food.

Harris contacted her suppliers and asked if it would help them to be able to sell to the customers that were used to shopping at the farmers market. She asked her customers if they wanted to be able to shop like the chef does. Fall Line Farms was born from that link. The Farm to Family Co-op started with the 2008 winter season. Customers ordered from the farmers, and the farmers delivered once a week to a drop off point. They delivered the same day they were already delivering to the restaurant enabling them to make one trip a week.

Within a month of starting the co-op there were over a hundred families participating, and Harris was swamped with the logistics and paperwork. She went to Virginia FAIRS for help with strategy and web design. At a potluck dinner, the farmers agreed that the concept was working and signed on for the summer season. With a brand new multifaceted web page, Fall Line Farms stared the 2009 summer season.

Using the new web page, producers can change their offerings weekly, updating both products and available quantities. Customers can place their orders Friday through Monday and pay on line with Pay Pal. Producers get the orders and deliver them to one of five drop off points Thursday morning.

Customers pick up their orders Thursday afternoon, and the cycle starts again.

Registration for the six month summer season is $85 and everyone including producers pays the fee. Producers also pay a small percentage of their sales to Fall Line Farms. Currently there are 35 producers and over 300 families in the Co-op.

Harris was one of three speakers participating in a facilitated discussion on Marketing Your Livestock, Products, and Story from Farm to Fork held during the Women in Agriculture Conference. Blue Ridge Community College hosted the Conference at the Weyers Cave, Va. campus.

Regina Beidler whose dairy farm is part of the Organic Valley cooperative, talked about the importance of trying new ideas.

“You can try an idea, and if it doesn’t work leave it behind,” said Beidler.

Beidler told of the difficulty they had raising flowers and the success they had giving sleigh rides and selling cedar posts. She stressed the importance of being flexible and continuing to try things.

Pat Elliot, owner of Everona Dairy, spoke about the importance of a diverse marketing plan. Elliot sells her sheep’s milk cheese directly to wineries and restaurants as well as wholesale and through distributors. She also sells at farmers markets and values the opportunity it gives her to build relationships with her customers. Elliot also said that the free publicity available in magazines and newspapers was invaluable. The dairy has a web page, but all sales are handled by phone.

The discussion was facilitated by Cassie Driskill of Virginia Cooperative Extension, and participants had a chance to share their own successes and tips. More information is available at www.everonadairy.com , www.organicvalley.coop , and www.farm2udirect.com .