Grill & Larder
Fair Trade Ingredients
When you think of food for your table do you consider where the ingredients come from? Have you asked yourself if the products that are available at the grocery are really the best or are they really just the most convenient and profitable for the grocer? As it is now the answer is yes.
The grocery supply chain is actually limited to which distributors a store or restaurant feels comfortable with. Many distributors have expanded their offerings in order to offer the illusion that they can be a single source for everything a busy operator needs. There is a broad choice to be sure and when you patronize their establishment you may have felt satisfied with your choices. The only problem is that these distributors require their suppliers to pay slotting fees and sell at margins that are so slim that often the supplier loses money just for the opportunity to gain an unsustainable market share. Discount and Dollar stores shelves are full of products from specialty food producers who lost at this winner- take- all approach to doing business.
The old adage " Do you know how to make a small fortune in the food business? - Start with a large fortune" is so true.
Producers who wish to sell their wares must spend a disproportionate amount of time and money on the sales process often at the expense of actual production.
Even small producers who sell at local farmers markets must sacrifice a day of work on the farm or in the kitchen in order to pack up a truck (expense), travel to an urban market - often many miles from their home, set up a display (expense) and spend the whole day explaining why their product is special enough for folks to part with their hard earned money for it. After a predictable amount of sales- often not enough to earn a living, they pack everything up, drive home and do the chores that had to be put off while they were gone.
Ask any farmer- this is no way to earn a living. Until now, it has been the only way. But not anymore.
The idea is simple. We have created a marketplace that levels the playing field. Our facebook group is an open forum where producers can interact with consumers directly. To sell their products they simply take a picture, give a brief description, take an order, and then ship it directly to the customer. A few minutes of their time is all that is required to connect with people who want to partake in the results of their passion. They can sell that old market van, turn the market tent into a shelter for the tractor, and get their hands back in the dirt.
Additionally we offer producers an opportunity to set up a storefront on this site. The vendors that are featured here wish to streamline their offerings into an online presence that makes the sales process as simple as click and buy. Having a quality marketplace that makes shopping very simple allows consumers to easily consolidate their shopping list into a single cart, and with a click of the mouse they can have their order filled by several independent producers from around the world!
Small and independent is the new local.
Make a difference in passionate producers lives- they deserve your attention. The world is small and our neighbors may not live next door, but we all benefit by their uncompromising desire to be free.
Thank you for being our neighbor.
