The Central Indiana Food Hub is now Hoosier Harvest Market, Inc. What is it and who is it for? You can find out at a meeting on April 23, 7 to 9 p.m. EDT at the Hancock County Extension office in Greenfield.
Roy Ballard, Extension ag educator in Hancock County, with extensive experience in this type of marketing, says the meeting is for anyone who wants to produce and sell products directly to consumers. Hoosier Harvest Market is simply a system that will coordinate weekly sales and collection of farm products through online marketing. Customers will pick up their food at delivery points across the region which the system will serve, he notes.
By attending the meeting growers can learn details about the logistics of the market. Funded through a USDA Specialty Crop block grant administered by the Indiana Department of Agriculture, the system is designed primarily to handle locally grown produce. However, someone producing meat and processing it through a state-inspected facility is still welcome to attend and see if there is a fit for them in this system, organizers say.
For more information on the meeting, call Ballard at 317-0462-1113, or email him at rballard@purdue.edu. If you can't attend the meeting but want to learn more about the possibilities of participating in the market, visit www.hoosierharestmarket.com. You can also look for updates on the Hoosier Harvest Market Facebook page.
The goal is for farmers to advertise their products online and for consumers who want fresh products to buy online. At the end of each marketing cycle, the products will be delivered to a pre-determined pickup point, ready for each customer. Shoppers will pay online for products. Restaurants who need a local supply of produce are also encouraged to participate in this system.