How Does FDC Find Growers? – post from 2016
MA Grown and Fresher
By Julie Pottier-Brown, Operations Manager
Technology has changed, but word of mouth is still the best way for us to find suppliers. We used to ask our growers if they had farmer friends who could supply fruit and produce not grown by them. Growers want their neighbors to succeed as much as they want that for themselves. We can usually glean some good leads this way. In the early 2000’s there used to be a publication put out by the MA Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) called The Green Guide which listed growers across the state, their products and whether they were retail, wholesale or pick your own (PYO) operations. It was a very useful tool, even when it was out of date. The state of MA started a digital version during 2020. This version has job postings and seekers as well as product offerings.
Current FDC methods still include asking farmers about their friends, but we also find products at farmers markets, local product trade shows, online trade and wholesale platforms as well as recommendations of our members. We have been sampling an organic dip/dressing called Eco-Bean made in Vermont. Melrose gets to try it this week. This relationship started from a post on Instagram.
Got a recommendation for us? Miss something from our store you tried once & haven’t seen it in stock recently? Let us know.
