Two of the places I’ve lived (US) have had awesome co-op distribution systems for local farmers to distribute food. The first was in Tennessee in a suburbanish area. A nonprofit coordinated pickups from farms in the area and rented a small storefront in the historic downtown with fridges. Weekly you could shop online for local produce, dairy, meat, and even some baked goods. I was a student and was grateful they took food stamps!
I’ve found a similar situation where I am now (big city). Another farm co-op where a non-profit facilitates the transportation and storefront, but this one only offers produce. Instead of picking up at a central location the food is dropped off at host houses locally for pickup.
For years I’ve had the looming suspicion that a thoughtfully engineered logistics logic could make a huge difference in grassroots organizing for food security. We need logistics that connect resources to need. We need it to be well organized and easy to contribute to with well defined roles whether it be by committing to grow food, lending equipment for transportation, or driving goods from A to B. Current logistics logic caters to giant factory farms and mega corps.
That’s pretty cool. Do you remember the name of the one in TN? That’s where I am and I’d love to talk with them. I know a few growers’ co-ops and farmers’ markets, but nothing like that. Would be cool to get involved.
I agree, I think logistics is something that benefits from scale and it’s a small part of what makes megafarms able to outcompete a more diverse field of small producers. And regardless of scale, it’s just something that’s hard to reason about and a lot of farmers are bad at it. If I can put together a model distribution cooperative that allows farmers to filter in, and up, and out of the industry as they age, and doesn’t just entrench a new power structure that’s just as bad as the one it meant to replace, I think we as a species will be a lot better able to weather what’s coming.
Two of the places I’ve lived (US) have had awesome co-op distribution systems for local farmers to distribute food. The first was in Tennessee in a suburbanish area. A nonprofit coordinated pickups from farms in the area and rented a small storefront in the historic downtown with fridges. Weekly you could shop online for local produce, dairy, meat, and even some baked goods. I was a student and was grateful they took food stamps!
I’ve found a similar situation where I am now (big city). Another farm co-op where a non-profit facilitates the transportation and storefront, but this one only offers produce. Instead of picking up at a central location the food is dropped off at host houses locally for pickup.
For years I’ve had the looming suspicion that a thoughtfully engineered logistics logic could make a huge difference in grassroots organizing for food security. We need logistics that connect resources to need. We need it to be well organized and easy to contribute to with well defined roles whether it be by committing to grow food, lending equipment for transportation, or driving goods from A to B. Current logistics logic caters to giant factory farms and mega corps.
That’s pretty cool. Do you remember the name of the one in TN? That’s where I am and I’d love to talk with them. I know a few growers’ co-ops and farmers’ markets, but nothing like that. Would be cool to get involved.
I agree, I think logistics is something that benefits from scale and it’s a small part of what makes megafarms able to outcompete a more diverse field of small producers. And regardless of scale, it’s just something that’s hard to reason about and a lot of farmers are bad at it. If I can put together a model distribution cooperative that allows farmers to filter in, and up, and out of the industry as they age, and doesn’t just entrench a new power structure that’s just as bad as the one it meant to replace, I think we as a species will be a lot better able to weather what’s coming.
Stones River Market, out of Murfreesboro! I think they’re still up and running.
Hopefully with enough of us thinking about these things the dots will eventually connect.
Thanks! Looks like they are still going, I’ll check 'em out.