The Food & Growers Association (FGA) is excited to announce a new partnership with Hoosier Harvest Market, a food hub that has serviced Central Indiana for 8 years.  We have formed a sub-hub called Hoosier Harvest Market Southeast (HHMSE).

 

The FGA, Value Chain Coordinator Oak Hawk of Southeast Indiana Farm Connect, and Kathy Cooley, Southeast Indiana Farm Connect Steering Team leader, have worked very hard in making this joint venture happen, along with Amy Surburg, President of the board of Hoosier Harvest Market and Cody Smith, Coordinator of Hoosier Harvest Market.  We have also recently hired Libby Werner as the market coordinator and Pam Rieke as the volunteer coordinator as we have expanded to meet the demand.

 

In addition to all the wonderful ways a consumer can obtain local food (farmers markets, road-side stands, direct sales from farmers, home delivery services, CSA’S), this program will give our Southeast Indiana consumers a way to order local food online from local southeastern Indiana farmers. Kathy Cooley indicates, “this program will hopefully bring a greater diversity of products to our local customers.”

 

To order, go to https://hoosier.localfoodmarketplace.com/Account/Register and set up an account. 

Indicate your distribution location as HHM Southeast and Tuesday/Wednesday as your pickup time and when ordering, southeastern Indiana area farmer’s products will populate your product availability as well as other central Indiana farmer’s products that will be able to be distributed in our area.

 

The ordering window is from Wednesday at 1 PM through Monday at noon.  Farmers will be posting available products in that time period.  Pickup of ordered product will be on Tuesday from 4 PM to 6 PM at Dotty’s Bulk Foods in Batesville.  A second pickup site is at Beneker Family Farms near St. Leon and a third at Reclaim Fitness in Greensburg.  Information will be on the website.  Ordering is open NOW. 

 

Missy Watkins, past president of the board of FGA wants to also emphasize that to make this program work, we need participation. “We need farmers and customers in order to expand,” stated Watkins.

 

In order to best meet the wants and needs of customers, Hoosier Harvest Market Southeast is currently working very hard to recruit as many southeastern Indiana farmers as possible. The recruitment of farmers, as well as the overall program, aligns with the FGA’s mission to aid area farmers in marketing their products. Participating in such a farmers’ cooperative program can save farmers much time while also providing them with another outlet for their products.  Any farmers interested in participating should reach out to Value Chain Coordinator, Oak Hawk, at vcc@foodandgrowers.com or 765-561-6207.

 

We hope you will enjoy this latest convenient way to obtain local fresh food from your local farmers, helping them remain prosperous, and helping you keep your bellies full!