The Online Farmer

Click Here to Buy Local

The roadside farm stand is synonymous with Maine summer: local farmer, fresh produce, fair exchange. We joined a Community Supported Agriculture group last year in large part to support a local venture, but it evolved into a deeper commitment to those ideals. “Buy Local” is a rallying cry I’d often heard, but the reasons to do so began to resonate deeper than ever before.

When a neighbor got involved in the Maranacook Local Foods Buying Club, I was intrigued by the marriage of new technologies and traditional, direct-to-consumer sales models. The idea for Online Farmer was embraced by the Maine Dept. of Agriculture and Western Mountains Alliance, and a project was born.

I traveled from Cape Elizabeth to Machias (more than 200 miles up the coast) with several stops in between, visiting farmers and producers, buying club customers and government officials. The result was a new-found appreciation for the personal conviction required by the agricultural life, and the inherent power of our decisions as consumers. As we dance with environmental and political uncertainty, the economic and cultural impact of buying local is significant.

For more information on buying clubs in Maine, check out www.fffme.com