11-13-2008

Market Basket pilot feeds 80 families and bags $20K for RI farms

Market BasketsIt’s 4 pm on a Thursday evening in October at the Armory Park in the West End of Providence. Over $450 worth of local produce is stacked in bins, bags, and boxes behind the Farm Fresh RI table. Customers at the market stop as they pass by, asking us in a variety of languages what we’re selling and how much it costs. But this produce isn’t for sale. Rather, it’s going to be sorted into 24 bountiful bags for 24 Market Basket shareholders through a program we piloted this summer at the Armory and Downtown Markets.

Our Market Basket model was based on the traditional Consumer-Supported Agriculture (CSA) model in which customers pay farmers at the beginning of a season and then receive a share of the farm’s harvest every week. Shareholders chose one or both 10-week seasons at $200 each, and then came weekly to pick up a balanced mix of fresh produce, eggs and bread from all of the farmers at the market. Farm Fresh staff talked with farmers at markets, by e-mail, and on the phone, learning the latest on current crop harvests, in order to make the final arrangements for the contents of the shares.  Each market arrived with a newsletter, filled with information on farmers, produce storage, preservation and recipe suggestions, and we sorted the produce into canvas bags at the market for easy pick up.

Our goals for the Market Basket program were:

  • to strengthen neighborhood markets
  • to guarantee farmers’ income
  • to give more customers a reason to come by the market every week
  • to create an easy way for consumers to get local foods
  • to provide customers curious about CSAs with a stepping stone to try it out
  • to offer customers hands-on education in seasonal eating

And what a success it was!

  • The Market Basket program attracted a lot of attention and more regulars to the markets, and it coincided with a record year for farmers at the Armory and Downtown.
  • In this first year, the Market Basket program provided nearly $20,000 worth of produce, eggs and bread to 80 RI households, with 100% of the money going directly to the producers.
  • 11 farms were involved in the program: Barden Orchard, Big Train, Cedar Edge, City Farm, Hill Orchard, Maplewood, Moosup River, Red Planet Vegetables, Simmons, Whispering Elms and Young, as well as Olga’s Cup & Saucer and Seven Stars Bakery.
  • Thanks to shareholders’ donations, we were also able to offer a few half-price shares, expanding access to fresh food lovers of all income levels.
  • Shareholders surveyed at the end of the season were interested in getting a Market Basket next year, or were thinking about joining a traditional CSA.
  • Favorite items included apple butter, tomatoes, basil, apple cider, eggs, greens, and hot peppers. Shareholders enjoyed the convenience of the program, being exposed to new foods they’d never tried, and the challenge of eating more fruits and vegetables each week.

We’ve learned so much this season, and are indeed planning to continue and expand the Market Basket program. For next year we are looking to offer more low-income shares, add more recipes and food preparation tips, and offer more choices and variety in our weekly baskets, and maybe even add new market sites like Pawtucket. A big thanks goes out to our wonderful volunteers, and all of participating shareholders and farmers. You made it possible! As one participant noted, “the best part of this program is that it brings neighbors together,” and we couldn’t agree more.  Our weekly engagement with farmers and customers has turned familiar faces into friends, strengthening our community and our vision of a vibrant local food system.

– Christie and Hannah