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Farmigo, an online service that connects consumers to farmers and local producers, is set to launch today in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Farmigo, which launched in 2012, is currently operating in New York, New Jersey, and Northern California.
Here's how it works: Customers can select items online or via the mobile app from various local farmers and producers; food is harvested once ordered or made to order, so it's not sitting on a shelf somewhere. Farmigo tries to use products that are organic or, at a minimum, grown using sustainable methods.
Farmigo's marketplace locally has some 250 items from 30 producers, including fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, and pantry items like coffee, granola, and pasta. They'll add more as demand grows, but right now the list is pretty solid, with local favorites like Macrina, Britt's Pickles, and Mount Townsend Creamery on the list.
Orders are dropped off weekly at central pick-up sites like schools, offices, businesses, and homes. Pick-up site volunteers can get up to 70 percent off their groceries or 10 percent of the proceeds if the site is a school.
Farmigo also prides itself on eliminating the middle man, so farmers and producers can keep more of the profit, 60 cents to the dollar as opposed to the industry standard of 20 cents.
Farmigo joins local startup Barn2Door, formerly known as Farmstr, in delivering products from local producers in a sort of online farmers market.
