From Farm to Table, Via the Web

Source: Rodale.com

There's a reason farmer's markets are so popular: They provide local food direct from the grower, along with ample opportunity to talk to that grower about how the food was grown, whether any pesticides were used, and how his or her animals are treated. The downside? They shut down when it gets cold—unless you live in an area where winter farmer's markets have taken root.

So where are you supposed to get your local honey or grass-fed beef in winter? According to a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal, just hop online. The past few years have seen the launch of a number of start-ups hoping either to supply local food directly to you or to help you find stores and restaurants in your area that sell it.

Farmigo.com launched late last year and already has 500,000 subscribers who log on and find local farmers and meat producers. Customers can buy food on the site, which is then delivered to a nearby pick-up location, similar to the way a community-supported agriculture (CSA) membership delivery works.

RealTimeFarms.com is another site that maps out farms across the country, as well as shops, farmer's markets, and restaurants that sell those farms' goods. Dig a little deeper, right to the farm level, and you'll find out whether those farms are organic and can learn a little more about their growing practices. It's a slightly slicker version of LocalHarvest.org, a great website that has existed for years, providing people with the same detailed information about local farms, CSAs, farmer's markets, and sustainable restaurants.

Both of these sites launched with the help of monied private investors and were developed by former employees of successful companies like Google and Microsoft, and with the likes of Google behind the local food movement, what more could you ask for? But the idea of virtual farmer's markets is nothing new. Though they might not operate during the winter months, virtual farmer's markets are cropping up nearly as fast as community markets are, and even individual farmers are launching websites where customers can order their produce online and pick it up at the farm or at a local store.

LocallyGrown.net was launched in 2009 by a man in Athens, Georgia, as a way to provide people with all the selection of farmer's markets without the minor inconveniences—having to make it there for the few hours a market is open during the week, provided it fits in with your schedule, and making sure to get there as soon as the market opens in order to get the best selection. Farmers can buy a domain (yourfarm.locallygrown.net) and on their page, provide virtual farm-tour videos and a way for customers to order local goods.

Eggzy.net, another great local-food start-up, launched around the same time. If you have a backyard chicken flock, register with the site, and you can sell your eggs to people in your community on their "virtual egg stand."