GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A farm to front door reality.
June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, highlighting the importance of local produce from health to the economy.
However, it’s not easy for everyone to find fresh produce or have the time to shop at a farmers’ market. One unique business – Market Wagon – changes this, allowing people to buy local food without leaving the comfort of their home.
Market Wagon operates as an online farmers’ market. It enables food producers to thrive locally, such as the Chicken Bacon Ranch, located in Grand Rapids.
“It’s just a small family farm here. We raise beef, pork, chicken, eggs, lamb and we sell it here out of our little market. We sell a lot of produce in the summertime,” said Johanna Landacre, owner of the Chicken Bacon Ranch.
With a platform in Grand Rapids, Market Wagon allows fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables and meats to be bought via online or app, then hand-delivered to any home across a seven-county region of West Michigan.
Only a flat delivery fee is required, but there is no membership.
“It's really great for you know, small producers like us because they reach a whole community of people that we don't always have access to,” said Landacre. “And they help us market our products.”
Benefits of Market Wagon include exposure, efficiency and convenience.
“It has really helped with sales. We can even, like, contact the customers that order from us off of Market Wagon, and we can be in direct contact with them as well,” Landacre explained.
Customers can order from more than 60 farmers and producers, with over 900 items for sale each week. Unlike traditional farmers’ markets, Market Wagon is available in the winter.
“All year round. So you can still get anything like the meats and eggs and there's other greenhouse producers that you can buy their fruits and vegetables in the winter. Yeah, so that's really nice and convenient,” said Landacre.
Simplicity from the farm to your dinner table.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.