Connecting Organic Farmers to the Marketplace

Responding to growing demand for locally-grown food, FamilyFarmed.org is a website and food label that connects Midwestern farmers with consumers and commercial buyers. One innovative element is the labeling used by the organization to advance consumer education:

The FamilyFarmed.org label (pictured above) includes the FamilyFarmed.org logo, the place of production (for example, Illinois or Chicago), and the name of the farmer or processor behind the product. The goals are to make it easy for consumers to immediately identify locally produced food and determine the name of the farm or processor and place of production. The labels are designed to send people to the website to encourage a deeper connection with the producer. The label also helps supermarkets easily promote their local products.

If you don’t live in the Midwest, but are passionate about this issue, check out the site for ideas like the label that might be adapted to benefit your community.

Susan Herr