We’re acutely aware that getting products to market is challenging now more than ever and we want to help. We’ve been in touch with a number of food delivery businesses and have compiled a list of options for 1) opportunities to sell your products through an aggregated delivery service and 2) share business contact information for food delivery businesses who have expressed interest in partnering with farmers to potentially help with delivery of your CSA boxes, etc.
Existing Delivery Models:
Dandelion Organic Delivery
Maria Stavrakas
healthyharvest@dandelionorganic.com
ACME Farms + Kitchen (currently paying COD for local products)
Joy Rubey
joy@acmefarmsandkitchen.com
Viking Foods
Kyle Mattox
Growing Washington
Clayton Burrows
Seasoned Harvest
Serena Auriemma
Delivery Services interested in partnering for CSA home delivery:
These business owners are already making deliveries of prepared food to homes and have expressed interest in delivering produce and other farm products while they are on their routes. Feel free to reach out if you have customers interested in home delivery of a CSA or produce box. Sustainable Connections can help to facilitate these relationships.
Guud Bowls
Michael Duncan
guudbowls@gmail.com
Ovn Wood Fired Pizza
Matt Brawner
ovnwoodfiredpizza@gmail.com
Switchback Kitchen
Brett Hannan
switchbackkitchen@gmail.com
Best Practices for Pickup Sites:
- Choosing a location:
- Covered, outdoor sites are ideal, but any outdoor site where a pop-up will fit can work
- Ask friends to set up on their lawn
- Ask local churches and religious institutions to offer a space
- Talk with your current buyers who have unused parking lots
- Consider accessibility: can someone with limited mobility access the space?
- Pre-bag produce
- Have a display of what is in each bag (clearly marked “do not touch”)
- Create visual cues for 6’ distancing
- Chalk lines
- Field flags
- Rope or other barrier to prevent touching of product
- Create a few options for different bags (Salad kit, spring veggies, herb bag)
- Have clear signage for people waiting in line including prices
- Advertise pickup sites on all digital platforms with clear information
- Social Media (example)
- Newsletter
- Website
- Sustainable Connections Website and Food Atlas
- Payment:
- Have clear signage on-site and clear prices on website, social media, etc
- Pre-payment via website or app is best
- Remind people to bring exact change and have a no-touch cash box
- No-touch credit transactions can be another payment option (Enter CC info manually or use Venmo or other apps)
- A hand wash station is strongly encouraged, even if it is a simple one. Hot water in a Gatorade cooler with soap is better than nothing. This is essential if you handle cash or cards.
- Check the Health Department website for updated guidelines and contact Tom Kunesh if you have questions specific to Whatcom County: tkunesh@co.whatcom.wa.us
Other resources:
- This article from Barn 2 Door on how to get food to consumers
- This list of resources including videos and technical assistance providers
- This toolkit with best practices specifically for CSA
- This toolkit for direct sales software platforms