Market Development
Breaking Down Barriers to Access, Creating Market Opportunities
Growing healthy, nutritious food is only one of the challenges emerging farmers face. They must also develop relationships and connections to bring their products to market in a way that is both profitable and sustainable. For Black, Brown, and Indigenous farmers, this can be made more difficult through language, cultural, and other systemic barriers.
With decades of sales and business development experience, Route 1 is working to improve market access and create greater distribution opportunities for BIPOC farmers.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Route 1 partners with local businesses to provide farm-fresh produce to their employees throughout the growing season. CSA programs can be tailored to the cultural preferences of the organization.
Farm-to-Table Restaurant Buying
The average head of lettuce travels more than 1,500 miles and takes up to 2 weeks to reach a food distributor. By partnering with Route 1 farmers, chefs and restaurant groups can feature sustainable produce, grown by local BIPOC farmers, picked and delivered in hours, not weeks.
Community Food Share
More than 19 million Americans live in an area where they lack access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food options. Route 1 partners with community food share groups to eliminate food deserts and allow underserved community members the chance to thrive.
Commercial Food Service Providers
Route 1 is proud to partner with food service providers that manage large-scale cafeteria operations for schools, corporate offices, and hospitals to increase the amount of locally grown produce from farmers of color.
Interested in Bringing Route 1 Produce to Your Organization?
We'd love to partner with you to provide fresh, locally-sourced produce to your employees, customers, or community. Contact us today to learn more about how we can tailor our offerings to meet your organization's needs. Together, let's promote health, sustainability, and community well-being.