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    Food Business Resources

                                                                    If you’re a food producer looking to establish a virtual
                                                                    presence or expand your customer base, check out these
                                                                    helpful resources.

                                                                    Software guide

                                                                    Dozens of platforms currently support direct sales to
                                                                    customers for farmers, food hubs and farmers markets.
                                                                    In early 2020, the National Young Farmers Coalition
                                                                    published a helpful guide to 18 of them. It highlights costs,
                                                                    what each provides, and makes recommendations based on
              “Now shoppers have options with the online and drive-  sales models. For more, visit www.youngfarmers.org/wp-
           thru for pick up as well as in-person market. It’s been great for   content/uploads/2020/04/Farmers-Guide-to-Direct-Sales-
           our customers and for our farmers,” Glenski notes. By the end   Software-Platforms.pdf
           of summer, sales were nearing $180,000 through the Farmers’
           Market Hub alone.                                        Financing
              Cathy Moenning of Moenning Meat Company says the
           new system allows them to stay in touch with customers who
           can no longer go out. “It feels good to know they still want our   Compeer Financial, a member-owned, Farm Credit
           bacon, pork, and beef,” says Cathy’s 14-year-old son, John, who’s   cooperative, provides loans, leases, risk management and
           learning the family business. “Even though they can’t come here,   other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois,
           we feel connected, and that seems really important right now.”  Minnesota and Wisconsin. They offer a flexible loan
              For market vendor Hiawatha Honey, the online platform   program for farmers selling products directly to consumers,
           augmented the work they’d already done to establish a virtual   as well as grants for existing clients.
           presence. Melody Gilbertson, owner of preserve company
           Flavor in Jar, shared the impact it had on her business: “It was   “The Compeer Financial Farmers Market Grant Program
           something I’d always thought of doing. This was the initial   has two different grant options,” says Sai Thao, Senior
           push I needed to get a website up.”                      Lending Officer for Compeer, “one designed
              The system has also expanded the market’s customer    to help organizations and another for farmers directly.”
           base. “Some shoppers use the online system to order an entire
           week’s worth of groceries for pick up,” explains Glenski.   The organization grants help orgs enhance services
           “Others order some of the more popular items ahead and   to consumers and vendors, benefiting all who utilize
           pick them up as they stroll through the aisles and shop   the market. They’re geared toward marketing efforts,
           spontaneously. We also offer delivery services, which have   technology advancements, educational opportunities
           been great for those who can’t leave their homes or who are   for vendors or market management staff or conducting
           in high-risk categories. These are vulnerable people who need   research studies.
           fresh, nutritious food now more than ever.”
              While COVID may have spurred the transformation at    The vendor grants are designed to help farmers with
           the market, customers and farmers alike see the addition of   education, marketing or technology advancements and
           the Online Farmers Market as a valuable community resource,   can include branding, website creation, or mobile payment
           providing additional income for regional farmers while   technology products (excluding cell phones).
           safely connecting consumers to the freshest food. For more
           details on the market’s online and in person schedules, visit   Both grants are accepting applications from Oct.1 to Nov.
           www.rochfarmmkt.org. To find other online markets across   15, 2020. To qualify, you must be a current client of Compeer
           Minnesota, see farmersmarkethub.org.                     Financial. For terms, conditions and applications, contact
                                                                    grants@compeer.com or call (844) 426-6733.
           Beth Dooley is an Endowed Chair, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable
           Agriculture, a James Beard-winning writer and author of  eight   Compeer’s clients are also eligible for a 15% discount on their
           cookbooks, columnist for the Star Tribune, and appears regularly on   first year’s subscription to Local Line—an E-commerce and
           MPR’s Appetites. Her most recent work, The Perennial Kitchen is   delivery platform. For more (and a free trial), visit localline.ca
           focused on regenerative agriculture.
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