Making the farmers market virtual
- June 4, 2015
- / Louis Cooper
- / training-development
The Internet has been home to peddlers of books, electronics, clothing and other manufactured goods since its earliest days, but a Pace effort is celebrating a year of bringing something less common to the cyber world: fresh, local food.
The Pace Virtual Farmers Market will celebrate its first year of operation on June 11, with its “SUPER Market.” It is an expanded version of the weekly meetup where consumers pick up items from farmers they have already committed to buy on Facebook.
The virtual market is the brainchild of Felicia and Joshua Joscelyn.
“We noticed that the trend these days is for people to shop online,” Felicia Joscelyn said. “We see this everywhere from Amazon to eBay to Netflix. And we just thought, 'Hey, why not extend this convenience to shopping for healthy groceries?' People can purchase online, then swing by to pick up their items on Thursday and go right on home.”
The market can be more than just a novel convenience.
With 28 percent of Santa Rosa County adults and 30 percent of Escambia County adults considered obese, according to the 2015 county health rankings, access to fresh, healthy food is one way to combat the serious public health issues tied to unhealthful eating.
Places that lack access to fresh food are called food deserts. The U.S. Department of Agriculture maps them with this tool. For ZIP code 32571, this is the food desert the mapping tool highlights.
There is no fee to shop at the virtual market, but customers must join the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/pacevirtualfarmersmarket/.
There, they can view photo albums of goods from the market’s approved vendors. When a customer sees something they want to buy, they simply comment, “SOLD,” on the photo. Customers meet with the vendors every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., behind Relevant Life Church, at 4636 U.S. 90 in Pace.
“Our purchases are binding, and we do not tolerate vendors or customers who renege without valid reasons or notice,” Joscelyn said. “The Thursday swap meets look just like a traditional farmers market, with vendors often setting up booths with extras available for purchase.”
[caption id="attachment_24110" align="alignleft" width="300"]
People enjoy the vendors at the Pace Virtual Farmer's Market behind Relevant Life Church.[/caption]
Produce for sale now include squash, blueberries, strawberries, beans, peas, corn, cucumbers, potatoes, onions and carrots. Watermelon, cantaloupe, pasture-raised chicken and more soon will be available.
“We not only have local farmers offering produce, but also homemade bath and body products, candles, homemade breads, baked goods, fodder, grass-fed meats, local honey, hand-crafted products and plenty more,” Joscelyn said. “Our creative vendors are coming up with new and innovative products all the time.”
[sidebar]
Want to go?
On June 11, the “SUPER Market” first anniversary event will run from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Relevant Life Church. In addition to the market’s usual vendors, the event will feature face painting, a petting zoo, farming demonstrations and more.
The pubic is welcome.
There will also be raffle drawings to raise money for an expansion of the market. The grand prize is a $200 shopping spree to the market. Other prizes include gift cards to local restaurants, a basket of homemade personal care items, products from local businesses and more, totaling more than $600 in prizes.
[/sidebar]
Michelle Wells drives from Cantonment to buy food from the virtual market. She's been patronizing the organization since its inception. She buys dairy products, baked goods, produce and other items.
"The quality of food is beyond superior to anything the grocery stores or even health food stores offer," Wells said. "I know that when I am purchasing from the vendors at this market, I am supporting my local community of farmers, neighbors and friends. I can ask them directly how their food is grown and processed."
[caption id="attachment_24108" align="alignright" width="300"]
From left Martha Lecroy and Peggy Nichols sample and buy from Rose Romero and Candy Ramos at Rose's New Mexican Favorites at the Pace Virtual Farmer's Market.[/caption]
Jen Bailey of Milton has also been getting food from the Pace Virtual Farmers Market since it opened.
"I want the best quality foods," Bailey said. "I love being able to pre-order my food through the virtual farmer's market. It guarantees that I get high-quality meat, produce, eggs and dairy each week. The vendors selling meat, poultry, eggs and dairy provide their animals with a natural diet. These animals are treated humanely."
There now are about 2,400 members of the Facebook group, with about 200 people coming every week to make purchases.
The virtual market has about 25 vendors, even though not every vendor is allowed in.
“Our approval process is very stringent, and not everyone is a fit for our market,” she said. “For example, we do not even consider GMO crops, and all meats must be free-range and/or grass fed.”
There is no fee to shop at the virtual market, but customers must join the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/pacevirtualfarmersmarket/.
There, they can view photo albums of goods from the market’s approved vendors. When a customer sees something they want to buy, they simply comment, “SOLD,” on the photo. Customers meet with the vendors every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., behind Relevant Life Church, at 4636 U.S. 90 in Pace.
“Our purchases are binding, and we do not tolerate vendors or customers who renege without valid reasons or notice,” Joscelyn said. “The Thursday swap meets look just like a traditional farmers market, with vendors often setting up booths with extras available for purchase.”
[caption id="attachment_24110" align="alignleft" width="300"]
People enjoy the vendors at the Pace Virtual Farmer's Market behind Relevant Life Church.[/caption]
Produce for sale now include squash, blueberries, strawberries, beans, peas, corn, cucumbers, potatoes, onions and carrots. Watermelon, cantaloupe, pasture-raised chicken and more soon will be available.
“We not only have local farmers offering produce, but also homemade bath and body products, candles, homemade breads, baked goods, fodder, grass-fed meats, local honey, hand-crafted products and plenty more,” Joscelyn said. “Our creative vendors are coming up with new and innovative products all the time.”
[sidebar]
Want to go?
On June 11, the “SUPER Market” first anniversary event will run from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Relevant Life Church. In addition to the market’s usual vendors, the event will feature face painting, a petting zoo, farming demonstrations and more.
The pubic is welcome.
There will also be raffle drawings to raise money for an expansion of the market. The grand prize is a $200 shopping spree to the market. Other prizes include gift cards to local restaurants, a basket of homemade personal care items, products from local businesses and more, totaling more than $600 in prizes.
[/sidebar]
Michelle Wells drives from Cantonment to buy food from the virtual market. She's been patronizing the organization since its inception. She buys dairy products, baked goods, produce and other items.
"The quality of food is beyond superior to anything the grocery stores or even health food stores offer," Wells said. "I know that when I am purchasing from the vendors at this market, I am supporting my local community of farmers, neighbors and friends. I can ask them directly how their food is grown and processed."
[caption id="attachment_24108" align="alignright" width="300"]
From left Martha Lecroy and Peggy Nichols sample and buy from Rose Romero and Candy Ramos at Rose's New Mexican Favorites at the Pace Virtual Farmer's Market.[/caption]
Jen Bailey of Milton has also been getting food from the Pace Virtual Farmers Market since it opened.
"I want the best quality foods," Bailey said. "I love being able to pre-order my food through the virtual farmer's market. It guarantees that I get high-quality meat, produce, eggs and dairy each week. The vendors selling meat, poultry, eggs and dairy provide their animals with a natural diet. These animals are treated humanely."
There now are about 2,400 members of the Facebook group, with about 200 people coming every week to make purchases.
The virtual market has about 25 vendors, even though not every vendor is allowed in.
“Our approval process is very stringent, and not everyone is a fit for our market,” she said. “For example, we do not even consider GMO crops, and all meats must be free-range and/or grass fed.”
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