[DK GreenRoots] Fwd: [NEFOOD] Market Mobile Reaches $1 Million Dollar Milestone: A Homegrown Food Hub Success Story

Begin forwarded message:

From: Noah Fulmer <noah@farmfreshri.org>

Date: February 23, 2011 4:04:16 PM EST

To: nefood@elist.tufts.edu

Subject: [NEFOOD] Market Mobile Reaches $1 Million Dollar Milestone: A Homegrown Food Hub Success Story

Reply-To: noah@farmfreshri.org

Contact: Hannah Mellion

 (401) 312-4250

Hannah@farmfreshri.org

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

 

 

Market Mobile Reaches $1 Million Dollar Milestone

A Homegrown Success Story, Farm Fresh RI Food Hub
Hits Record In the Middle of Winter (and a Recession)

Who: Farm Fresh RI; 40 farmers, food producers; 150 chefs, grocers, hospitals, schools

When: February 21st, 2011

What: Market Mobile reaches $1 million in sales

Where: Rhode Island and Boston area

 

Farm Fresh Rhode Island is excited to announce, with this Thursday's delivery of fresh, local food from its Pawtucket warehouse to local chefs, grocers and institutions, that its Market Mobile wholesale program will reach $1,000,000 in sales after starting up in 2009.

 

What does a million dollars worth of local food look like?  It translates to 22 new jobs created, and fresh healthy foods reaching thousands of RI eaters. It means small family farms are able to grow their businesses as they plan for the coming year.  In 2010, our customers consumed 39,198 tomatoes (9.80 tons), 23,374 ears of corn (12.86 tons), 113,175 carrots (11.32 tons), and 109,125 apples (18.19 tons). 

 

Market Mobile is a wholesale food distribution system designed around the needs of Rhode Island family farmers.  Every week, Market Mobile works with over 40 family farms and artisan food producers in Rhode Island and Massachusetts to get fresh produce, dairy and meat to restaurants, grocers, schools and hospitals around Providence, Newport and Boston.  The online ordering software pools together sales, delivery and invoicing so that Market Mobile farmers can focus on growing the tastiest food in town.

 

The program has experienced phenomenal growth in its two short year as a result of increasing demand for fresh, quality food that only local farms can provide.  Winter isn't usually considered the growing season here in New England, but Market Mobile sales are already up 83% in 2011, after growing 200% last year. Even in the darkest days of winter, with snow covering the farms, weekly winter sales are only 40% off of a September 2010 record.  2011 sales are on track to top $1 million, on target for Farm Fresh's goal of $2.5 million by 2014.

 

Farmers have dramatically increased winter (and summer) production by adding new year-round greenhouses and storage facilities and expanding acreage to respond to customers' demand.  Farmers are selling a bounty of greenhouse greens, sweet potatoes, apples, herbs, eggs, meat, milk and cheese.  Participating producers include Aquidneck Farms (Portsmouth), Baffoni Poultry Farm (Johnston), Blue Skys Farm (Cranston), Narragansett Creamery (Providence), NorthStar Farm (Westport), Schartner Farms (Exeter) and Rhody Fresh (nine farm locations).

 

Local chefs led the way as early adopters of Market Mobile.  The idea for Market Mobile came from a 2006 meeting between Farm Fresh RI and the Newport Restaurant Group about creating an easy way for restaurants to order from local farmers.  Customers range from Chez Pascal and Castle Hill to the Providence Marriott and McCormick & Schmick's to the Liberty Elm Diner and Café La France. Having delivery routes across RI and MA established is now allowing Farm Fresh to engage schools, hospitals, workplaces and other institutions whose purchasing practices often require longer conversations. RI Hospital, Newport Hospital, RISD, Brown University, and Blue Cross Blue Shield have already signed on. The next stage of Market Mobile expansion is focused on getting fresh food into more hospitals, workplaces and schools.

 

The Market Mobile program started with funding from RI DEM Division of Agriculture, and it has truly become a community effort..  The program's startup is possible thanks to the support of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Americorp VISTA, Clif Bar Family Foundation, Farm Aid, Urban Smart Growth, the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, and all of the chefs, schools, grocers and community members who believed in the potential of the potential of Market Mobile to create a better Rhode Island for everyone here who farms or eats.  This first $1 million is for you!

 

To find out more about the Market Mobile, visit: www.farmfresh.org/hub.

 

Farm Fresh Rhode Island is growing a local food system that values environment, health, and quality of life of farmers and eaters. With this mission in mind, we seek to preserve local farmland, build healthier communities, support and strengthen community-based businesses in Rhode Island, increase access to fresh food, and improve the impact of food production and distribution on the environment.

 

  

# # #

--
Hannah Mellion

Market Mobile Coordinator
AmeriCorps VISTA
Farm Fresh Rhode Island
www.farmfreshri.org
401 312 4250 (w)

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