In North Carolina, another website with the same vision is currently under construction (www.farmersfreshmarket.org). According to an article in the Charlotte Observer, farmers in Polk and Rutherford Counties will posts lists on it of the produce they have to offer, and chefs can order from there; the site will be maintained by a 10 percent transaction fee the buyer pays. 

And in the Northeast, Wegman’s, a small chain of grocery stores with a reputation for quality, both in terms of produce and service, has begun growing its own organic vegetables—on the CEO’s land. The stores sold local products and produce before it was hip, for more than 20 years at this point, but now Danny Wegman and his wife Stency have dedicated 50 acres of their land in Canandaigua to research and production of organic fruits, vegetables and honey, with the intention to supply their own stores and serve as an educational model. It’s a pretty far-out thing for a supermarket to do, but Wegman’s has always been an innovative company, in my experience (I used to work for one of their suppliers). They believe that organic, conventional, local and imported foods aren’t at odds sharing shelf space—to them, quality and education are paramount, and the rest follows. But they keep their heads on straight: “If it’s not profitable, it’s not much of a model,” Danny Wegman points out. 

I’m very curious to see how all of these projects turn out. Three cheers for thinking outside the box.