Welcome to
Farm Fresh Network
(FFN)
Make a Difference with Regenerative Food Systems
Regenerative food systems play an important role in a community’s effort to provide fresh nutritious food, as an alternative to commercial supply chains. The gaps in the traditional food system affect more and more people every year. With rising costs and dwindling access, many communities find it increasingly harder to procure healthy, affordable food. As a result, many of these communities turn to alternative food systems to meet their needs.
At Farm Fresh Network, we’re part of the growing shift in the way communities sustainably obtain nutritious local food. Our innovative online platform lets clients build alternative food systems that bridge the food inequity gap through online access to regenerative local food sources. These client-built food systems take the local farmers’ market to the next level through online access to not only the physical market but every facet of their local regenerative food system. That means built-in access to the FFN education platform, community building tools exclusively built for FFN clients, and much more.
The Farm Fresh Network
What is a Food System?
A food system is an integrated network of all the activities taking place between the harvest and the final consumption of food. Some argue the system definition goes further back to how and when the field is prepared for planting, or how and what animals eat before being harvested. Commercially, this is a long chain of custody bringing all manner of foods to nearly every corner of the world.
However, in the long chain that makes up the commercial system, shocks to the system degrade product quality, availability, and price. Over the last five years, shocks created never-before-seen gaps in the commercial food chain. These shocks were responsible for the sharp rise in costs and decrease in availability. What was once undeniably reliable is now unbelievably erratic.
Sustainable, regenerative food systems are short-chain food systems with fewer activities between the harvest and the plating of food products. These food systems are based on local growers and producers, offering a direct connection between farmers and consumers. This shorter supply chain reduces the miles and number of processes happening prior to the consumer, resulting in healthier food options.
Why Build a Regenerative Food System?
Local food systems create even more impact by reaching further into the community than commercial systems. By establishing networks within their communities, local food systems provide access to nutritious food in marginalized neighborhoods, where procurement is increasingly difficult in combating the encroachment of food deserts. By using online access, local food systems ensure market availability for everyone who needs it.
At Farm Fresh Network, we’re supporting local, sustainable, and regenerative food systems. They’re more resilient to outside shocks than the commercial system and are increasingly relied on to fill in the gaps that commercial systems create. While many see the traditional farmers’ market as a nice alternative to going to the store, the reality is much more serious. Your community needs more than just a Saturday market. It needs access, education programs, and a tightly knit community they can rely on.
Local market-based food systems are not just a solution for times of crisis. They’re part of a growing movement for a more equitable food system. With increased focus on environmental health and food security, regenerative food systems are cornerstones for resilient communities. Using these systems, communities are taking back control of their food sources, resulting in equitable food systems built to last.
Going Beyond the Farmers’ Market.
A far cry from commercially recognized “organic” foods, sustainable procurement drives these food systems to become fiscally, environmentally, and socially responsible. Everything from how the produce is grown, the animals raised, and the methods by which they are brought to market are scrutinized. Buyers can visit their vendors, ask questions, build relationships, and ensure their product has less impact on the environment. Often, buyers can volunteer at a vendor’s farm or ranch to be a part of the process by which their own food is procured.
So, it’s about more than just getting people to the market. It’s about education, community, and pulling together to build a thriving local economy. Toward those ends, alternative markets create online education programs to build awareness, educate vendors on small business principles, and teach future producers sustainable methods for a better crop. Perhaps most importantly, they build community. They have online social spheres that deliver information, inform the public, and bring a sense of belonging to those who participate.
See the Bigger Picture for Your Community
The power of alternative food systems is clear: they provide access to nutritious food in communities that are often overlooked, create economic opportunity for those involved, and provide education for future growers and producers. Most importantly, they create a sustainable, regenerative community that is equitable no matter who they are or where they are located.
At Farm Fresh Network, we understand the power of alternative food systems and the impact they can have on communities. Our platform is designed to help our clients deliver the best foods and opportunities to even the most remote areas. With our platform, your market will be online, you’ll create online education programs, provide delivery options, and be the cornerstone to a thriving local economy. It’s time to make a difference – because your community needs more from your market.