GreenLeaf: A Virtual Farmer's Market

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Jun 17
2006

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GreenLeaf: A Virtual Farmer's Market

Via Growers & Grocers, this is interesting:

The Internet-based business, Greenleaf LLC, gets under way this summer. [...] Greenleaf could be a virtual farmer's market that never closes.

Local farmers will be able to post what they have to sell, such as fresh produce and meats.

Buyers will be able to browse through the offerings and make online purchases from the farmers.

Greenleaf will charge sellers a fee, perhaps 2% of a sale. Buyers will pay an annual subscription fee, that hasn't been finalized, to use the service.

Buyers and sellers will be responsible for making their own arrangements for payments and deliveries. [Former Whole Foods employee Heather] Hilleren said she will stay out of the transactions as much as possible.

"It's strictly between the buyer and the seller," much like eBay, she said.

The whole story is worth reading. I wonder if this would work; while the eBay analogy is better for the press, this feels more like Etsy Foods to me. I love that.

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Comments: 5

Gerald Buckley [06.17.06 06:44 PM]

Thanks for turning me onto wellfed and Greenleaf. This is right up the grocery vertical we're working on with Grocio. Great timing! (That and the Amazon groceries deal)

Roger Weeks [06.18.06 09:07 AM]

Local Harvest (www.localharvest.org) has been doing this since 2002. Not only does it have an online store where farmers can sell products, it has search capabilities that let you find local farmers, farmers markets, and other places like restaurants and stores that sell local produce from your area.

Roger Weeks [06.18.06 09:09 AM]

One other point to make - does Greenleaf support sustainable and/or organic agriculture?

Local Harvest does not support only these types of farms, but actively encourages people to seek out sustainably grown and/or organic produce.

ron pereira [06.19.06 10:14 AM]

Om Organics in (of course) San Francisco has been doing an amazing job with a farmer/chef connection for several years. Having tried my hand at an online, local, organic, food business, I tip my hat to anyone willing to put in the blood, sweat and tears to lead this noble cause.