The Challenge
Small and medium-sized local farmers don’t have the capacity to research and approach numerous wholesale markets and often don’t grow on a scale to serve wholesale customers, limiting their ability to survive and thrive financially.
The Approach
Market Mobile is a transparent distribution system that connects RI, MA and CT farmers and food producers with wholesale buyers like chefs, grocers, schools, hospitals, farm stands, and buying clubs. It uses an e-commerce platform, personalized customer service, professional staff, and a fleet of delivery vehicles to help farmers focus on farming, increase overall sale of locally grown products, and provide buyers with a more efficient system for buying local food.
By The Numbers
After its founding in 2004, Market Mobile was one of the first programs developed by Farm Fresh Rhode Island, along with its first Farmers Market and Local Food Guide community database. Since then, Farm Fresh RI has built an incredible network of programs and services connecting local eaters and farmers.
- Wholesale Customers (2018): 311
- Farmers and Food Producers (2018): 108
- Total Sales (2018): $2.17M
- Sales to Date (From program inception to May 15, 2019): $17M
Sustain & Create Markets for RI Food & Beverage Products
This program connects small and medium-sized local farmers to new local wholesale markets, helping them grow and thrive.
Program Description
For small and mid-size farmers in New England, it can be difficult to yield enough products and manage the infrastructure needed to feed the demands of larger institutions, such as universities and restaurants. Market Mobile, as the name suggests, was built to mobilize food from a wide variety of small farms to serve wholesale buyers — streamlining the process with one order, one invoice, and one delivery. This way, farmers can reach a larger audience, and buyers get access to regional food without having to go to large commercial farms. It is a transparent platform where farmers can dictate their own prices and track sales in real time, and buyers also can see what’s available along with growing practices and pricing before purchasing. Market Mobile is instrumental in promoting the consumption of local food across Rhode Island, and the New England region.
Future Plans
This Rhode Island Story was prepared by Nhu Phung.