June 21, 2010
Virginia's farmers form cooperative to offer locally produced meat
About a dozen Southwest Virginia farmers have come together to sell and deliver their products under a new programme called the Appalachian Farm to Family Cooperative.
For customers, there are two steps to the process. First, place the order online. Second, show up on delivery day to pay and pick up the food. "We make it so convenient that people can just place an order on the computer and basically not even have to get out of their car," said Michael Templeton, co-op manager and a producer of free-range birds and eggs.
It costs nothing to browse the products and place the first couple of orders, Templeton said, though repeat customers must join the co-op for a US$30 annual fee. Profits from the sale of the meat, eggs and dairy products go directly to the producers.
Typically, orders can be placed through the second Tuesday of every month, Templeton said. The third Tuesday is delivery day in the parking lot of the Abingdon Farmers Market Pavilion. Additional drop-off points are planned in other towns based on demand.
"We feel that there is a latent demand out there for healthy meat," Templeton said. "People are getting sick and tired of health, environmental and social problems connected to factory farm food, and they want to connect with their food."
At Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abingdon, coordinator Tom Peterson said the Appalachian Farm to Family Cooperative got its seed money in the form of a US$8,000 grant from the USDA, part of an effort to promote farmers markets.
