By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent WEST CHESTER, Ohio — Starting this month, shoppers in southwestern Ohio have more ways to order from their local farms and food artisans. Market Wagon LLC, an Indianapolis-based startup company, has opened a delivery hub serving six counties in southwestern Ohio, with its new base in West Chester Township in Butler County. This online farmers’ market will provide weekly deliveries of fresh local produce, meats, cheeses and other homegrown or homemade fare to homes in Butler, Warren, Hamilton, Montgomery, Greene and Clermont counties, according to Jeremy Lewis, Southwest Ohio market coordinator for Market Wagon. “All the vendors control their own inventory, products, descriptions and photos,” he said. “What we do is basically act as a courier and just kind of a marketplace for them to do so.” Customers placing an order on Tuesdays before midnight receive a delivery on Thursday for a $5.95 fee, with no minimum order amount and no subscription required. Shoppers can peruse the website by vendor or by category, including everything from baked goods, meats and locally roasted coffee to jams, soaps and pet treats. The convenience of home delivery is crucial to Market Wagon’s appeal, but its true economic impact will be seen in the increased market for local farmers. To date, this West Chester hub has 23 Ohio farms and artisans signed up as vendors. Debra Liston, owner of Fairfield (Ohio)-based business Mwimbula Fresh Coffee – Fresh Bread, said sales of her custom-roasted single-source coffee and freshly baked, naturally leavened breads and pastries have grown for each of the five weeks she has sold via Market Wagon. “This is guaranteed sales,” she said. “Since the customers order, I know exactly what to make and I sell it, whereas at a farmers’ market I might show up with 20 loaves of bread and sell seven. I then have 13 loaves of bread to deal with. This is what makes Market Wagon so attractive.” Tiffany Shinkle of New Vienna-based TS Farms, says Market Wagon has been great for serving longtime patrons and has generated a slew of new customers for the 10-year-old family farm that offers fresh grass-fed, non-GMO beef, lamb and pork chops, as well as chicken, turkey, eggs, jams, jellies and maple syrup. She said Market Wagon’s concept is taking off in southwestern Ohio because consumers are leaning toward services that offer convenience. “Kroger’s has its ClickList, Whole Foods will deliver and we’re seeing attendance down at farmers’ markets,” she said. “I think it’s because they can order it online and get it delivered or pull in, pick it up and go.” Vendors do not pay a fee to participate in Market Wagon, but the company retains a percentage of sales. The company got its start in Indianapolis in 2016 and there are now four hubs in the Hoosier State, with the Fort Wayne locale added in February. “This business is all about giving customers more ways and easier access to buy local, thus giving farmers and food producers more ways to reach them,” said Nick Carter, co-founder and CEO of Market Wagon. According to a recent survey of Indiana consumers, more than 44 percent of respondents have already tried ordering groceries online. “By bringing the same products you’d expect at a local farmers’ market into an online shop, we are increasing the market for local farms and artisans, and ultimately it’s those vendors who win,” said Carter, who was born and raised on a small Indiana farm. “Market Wagon’s mission is to enable food producers to thrive in their local and regional markets,” said co-founder Dan Brunner. “This allows us to provide exceptional choices and service to customers, who will know exactly where their food comes from.” For more information about Market Wagon, go to www.marketwagon.com |
