Penhollow Market's direct mailer ad to over 100,000 households featuring cherries from Grandpa's Homeplace in July 2006.

The year 2006 marked the launch of Farming & the Environment's Access-to-Market programs, generating $221,000 in high-volume grocery sales and high-profitfarmers market sales for Washington State stewardship farmers.

Creating access to new direct markets can be a winning strategy to keep our environmental stewardship farmers profitable so they can continue their great work.  To this end, we partnered with Larry Roberts of Penhollow Markets, Henri Parren of Small Potatoes Urban Delivery, and the City of Des Moines to generate profitable farm sales in local grocery stores and at the Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market for our growing number of stewardship farms.  

Farm-Cooperative Development

With supporting grants from the Bullitt and WK Kellogg Foundations and the US Department of Agriculture, seven stewardship farms from one of the most economically challenged counties in our state formed the Okanogan Producers Marketing Association.  With Farming & the Environment's assistance, this farmer-owned cooperative leveraged their resources & sold to Puget Sound grocery stores, CSAs and at the Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market.

Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market

Farming & the Environment, with enthusiastic support from the City of Des Moines and community volunteers, launched the Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market.

Des Moines is the first farmers market in Washington State that gives priority to stewardship farmers and actively works to educate shoppers on the value of land
stewardship.  

The market was also the first in the state to allow growers to sell on behalf of other growers within their farmer-owned cooperative, thereby making themarket accessible to more growers.

In 2006, we:

• Achieved $153,000 in total sales, with $122,000 in farm sales
• Provided valuable direct-sales opportunity for 22 farms, 19 of which continued through the remainder of the season once they began selling at the market.
• Attracted nearly 19,000 shoppers over the 20-week season
• Grew educational e-newsletter to reach 450 shoppers weekly
• Attained $5,850 in community sponsorships

Direct Sales to Grocery Stores and CSAs

Farming & the Environment and its growers were able to develop unique and supportive partnerships with local retail outlets.

Local Participating Retailers included:

• Local Thriftway Stores in Ballinger, Bellevue, Magnolia, and Renton
  
• Olympia Food Co-op
  
• Small Potatoes Urban Delivery, internet-based home delivery retailer
• Pioneer Organics: local home delivery service
  
• Full Circle Farm: local CSA (community supported agriculture program)
  
• Organic Produce Shoppe: local CSA (community supported agriculture program)

These programs:

• Connected 8 stewardship farms with high volume retail sales to local grocers
• Achieved more than $100,000 in new sales for environmental stewardship farmers
• Supported four center-spread direct mail promotions to over 100,000 households in Puget Sound region featuring the farmer’s story of stewardship

Download Farming & the Environment's 2006 Annual Report - Accessing Markets for Stewardship Farms to learn more.