Saw this cool label on some squashes the other day at Whole Foods.
ECO is Eastern Carolina Organics and it's a consortium of a dozen or two farms that work together to market their farm-fresh products to consumers (and if you're questioning your memory of United States geography, don't worry--there is no state named East Carolina).
ECO is a great idea, and frankly, a necessary idea if small family farms want to be able to service buyers needing a minimum quantity or consistency. The
New North Florida Cooperative does this same thing with their main clients, school districts.
Organic Valley, of course, is the biggest success story nationwide of this strategy. And even at my little local farmers market, the farmers collaborate to provide CSA boxes that include products from many farmers rather than just one.
Collaboratives such as these can share storage facilities, transportation, recordkeeping, sales and marketing, and profits. Yes, the best of them can be run like corporations. Except this is the kind of corporate agriculture where there's a face you know on every farm, money stays in the local economy, land improves, and good, healthy, local (or at least, regional) food comes your way on a regular basis. That works for
me.
Saw this cool label on some squashes the other day at Whole Foods. ECO is Eastern Carolina Organics and it's a consortium of a dozen or two farms that work together to market their farm-fresh products to consumers (and if you're questioning your memory of United States geography, don't worry--there is no state named East Carolina).
ECO is a great idea, and frankly, a necessary idea if small family farms want to be able to service buyers needing a minimum quantity or consistency. The New North Florida Cooperative does this same thing with their main clients, school districts. Organic Valley, of course, is the biggest success story nationwide of this strategy. And even at my little local farmers market, the farmers collaborate to provide CSA boxes that include products from many farmers rather than just one.
Collaboratives such as these can share storage facilities, transportation, recordkeeping, sales and marketing, and profits. Yes, the best of them can be run like corporations. Except this is the kind of corporate agriculture where there's a face you know on every farm, money stays in the local economy, land improves, and good, healthy, local (or at least, regional) food comes your way on a regular basis. That works for me.