FromTheFarm.com. banks on food sales on-line
FromTheFarm.com. banks on food sales on-line
Dean Davis was tired of watching farmers get short money for their efforts. He also was tired of eating taste-challenged fresh produce that results from farmers harvesting their product too soon in order to meet market demands.
A lifelong farmer and now retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mr. Davis decided to do something about his concerns. The result is FromTheFarm.com, an on-line store that brings farmers and consumers together.
"I wanted to create a platform to connect farmers and customers to get the farmer a better return for his product," said Mr. Davis, general manager and director of field operations for FromTheFarm.com. "The farmer is the foundation of the industry, and everyone is making money but the farmer."
FromTheFarm.com is based in Stockton, CA. Mr. Davis has office space there, but he is not shipping goods from there. FromTheFarm.com pays for the shipping but the packing and shipping is handled by growers. Other than the partnerships that FromTheFarm.com has entered into with growers, the operation at present consists of just Mr. Davis and an administrative assistant he recently hired.
Mr. Davis believes that the timing is right for his business because Americans "are getting more passionate about their food."
FromTheFarm.com offers both conventional and organic produce, but it is not just about fresh produce. For instance, beef, grains, nuts and wine can be purchased through the site.
Currently, fruit and vegetables offerings aren't overly broad but the offerings will grow over time, Mr. Davis said.
"We're not out to take over the world," Mr. Davis said. "We want to create a higher-end product."
FromTheFarm.com had a booth at the 2008 National Restaurant Association Restaurant Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago that wrapped up May 20. Although that was the official launch of FromTheFarm.com, there was a soft launch in December, which handled about 100 orders from across the country as a test trial to work out any kinks in the operation.
Derrell Kelso Jr., president of Stockton, CA-based Onions Etc., supplies FromThe_Farm.com with onions and potatoes. He said that everything he has shipped through the on-line site "has gone smoothly," and said that it's going to "help me build my brand."
Mr. Davis wants his site to have a "farmers market feel" so that consumers can see from where product is coming and can learn a little about the farms from which they buy product.
He hopes to line up growers and shippers from around the United States and currently is seeking growers, ranchers and vintners interested in becoming a supplier for FromTheFarm.com. Mr. Davis also has some growers lined up outside U.S. borders.
The ability to buy food items over the Internet is "relatively new," Mr. Davis said.
"We're positioning ourselves as being a platform nationwide," Mr. Davis said. "We want [consumers] to support local farmers."
In the process, Mr. Davis wants to promote growers and give them a level of visibility generally not afforded to them.
"I tell [growers] that the outside of the box is about us and the inside of the box is about [them]," Mr. Davis said.
Growers only become part of the supply chain for FromTheFarm.com when Mr. Davis is satisfied that they meet the high standards he's setting for FromTheFarm.com.
Growers certainly can market their association with an on-line retailer on their own web sites, but since most small growers are growing seasonal product, Mr. Davis believes they will gain an advantage from a level of visibility and marketing promotion from FromTheFarm.com's year-round presence. Also, by joining the web site, growers can concentrate on what they do best - growing product - and let FromTheFarm.com handle the marketing.
"I tell them to trust in us to bring in a customer base," Mr. Davis said. FromTheFarm.com asks growers what price they want for their product. The company will work on a 5-30 percent margin on top of what it pays to the grower. FromThe_Farm.com has a discount coupon that comes out of its margin and does not cut in on what it pays to the grower.
FromTheFarm.com charges growers a fee to be on its web site and to use its state-of-the art bookkeeping software. A SKU fee is a separate charge as well. Growers can opt out of using FromTheFarm.com software, but as business gathers steam and growers find themselves manually entering each sale into their system, they are likely to switch over to FromTheFarm.com. Additionally, FromTheFarm.com will handle direct store deliveries with specialty items.
"Retailers ask if they can buy products directly from us," Mr. Davis said. Sometimes retailers may not want to go through their own distribution center, he said.
A lifelong farmer and now retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mr. Davis decided to do something about his concerns. The result is FromTheFarm.com, an on-line store that brings farmers and consumers together.
"I wanted to create a platform to connect farmers and customers to get the farmer a better return for his product," said Mr. Davis, general manager and director of field operations for FromTheFarm.com. "The farmer is the foundation of the industry, and everyone is making money but the farmer."
FromTheFarm.com is based in Stockton, CA. Mr. Davis has office space there, but he is not shipping goods from there. FromTheFarm.com pays for the shipping but the packing and shipping is handled by growers. Other than the partnerships that FromTheFarm.com has entered into with growers, the operation at present consists of just Mr. Davis and an administrative assistant he recently hired.
Mr. Davis believes that the timing is right for his business because Americans "are getting more passionate about their food."
FromTheFarm.com offers both conventional and organic produce, but it is not just about fresh produce. For instance, beef, grains, nuts and wine can be purchased through the site.
Currently, fruit and vegetables offerings aren't overly broad but the offerings will grow over time, Mr. Davis said.
"We're not out to take over the world," Mr. Davis said. "We want to create a higher-end product."
FromTheFarm.com had a booth at the 2008 National Restaurant Association Restaurant Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago that wrapped up May 20. Although that was the official launch of FromTheFarm.com, there was a soft launch in December, which handled about 100 orders from across the country as a test trial to work out any kinks in the operation.
Derrell Kelso Jr., president of Stockton, CA-based Onions Etc., supplies FromThe_Farm.com with onions and potatoes. He said that everything he has shipped through the on-line site "has gone smoothly," and said that it's going to "help me build my brand."
Mr. Davis wants his site to have a "farmers market feel" so that consumers can see from where product is coming and can learn a little about the farms from which they buy product.
He hopes to line up growers and shippers from around the United States and currently is seeking growers, ranchers and vintners interested in becoming a supplier for FromTheFarm.com. Mr. Davis also has some growers lined up outside U.S. borders.
The ability to buy food items over the Internet is "relatively new," Mr. Davis said.
"We're positioning ourselves as being a platform nationwide," Mr. Davis said. "We want [consumers] to support local farmers."
In the process, Mr. Davis wants to promote growers and give them a level of visibility generally not afforded to them.
"I tell [growers] that the outside of the box is about us and the inside of the box is about [them]," Mr. Davis said.
Growers only become part of the supply chain for FromTheFarm.com when Mr. Davis is satisfied that they meet the high standards he's setting for FromTheFarm.com.
Growers certainly can market their association with an on-line retailer on their own web sites, but since most small growers are growing seasonal product, Mr. Davis believes they will gain an advantage from a level of visibility and marketing promotion from FromTheFarm.com's year-round presence. Also, by joining the web site, growers can concentrate on what they do best - growing product - and let FromTheFarm.com handle the marketing.
"I tell them to trust in us to bring in a customer base," Mr. Davis said. FromTheFarm.com asks growers what price they want for their product. The company will work on a 5-30 percent margin on top of what it pays to the grower. FromThe_Farm.com has a discount coupon that comes out of its margin and does not cut in on what it pays to the grower.
FromTheFarm.com charges growers a fee to be on its web site and to use its state-of-the art bookkeeping software. A SKU fee is a separate charge as well. Growers can opt out of using FromTheFarm.com software, but as business gathers steam and growers find themselves manually entering each sale into their system, they are likely to switch over to FromTheFarm.com. Additionally, FromTheFarm.com will handle direct store deliveries with specialty items.
"Retailers ask if they can buy products directly from us," Mr. Davis said. Sometimes retailers may not want to go through their own distribution center, he said.
