Sourcing local checks all the boxes for people, planet, and profit and it
is what consumers are demanding. This call to action is worth
investigating to uncover the benefits associated with shifting
purchasing relationships. While it would be very difficult to source
ALL the supermarket’s items locally, starting out by offering a small
selection would build a mutually beneficial relationship between
suppliers and sellers. I would recommend establishing relationships
with local produce farmers, herb farms, beekeepers, livestock farms,
bakeries, and dairy farms. Start small to minimize the risk of breaking
relationships with existing suppliers. You don't want to put all of your
(farm fresh) eggs in one basket :) I would recommend testing the
market on a non-seasonal item first for example eggs, bread, or milk.
If those are well received, take a step further, does your dairy farmer
also grows corn? If it’s an item with a short grow season use local
when you can and keep your relationship with your satellite suppler
from farther away. Ordering minimal amounts of the local product
first because if they aren't sold they will become a wasted expense. If
they are all sold on the first day, the farm is just down the street and
you can get more. As data is collected the supermarket and the farm
can begin to predict demand and adjust.
In today’s globalized world consumers expect out of season or
international products to be available. By partnering with local
sources, you are investing in them. Together you could explore
techniques the farm hasn’t used before such as winter greenhouses,
hoop houses, and new ways of cultivating food. By contracting and
giving revenue to local growers they could reinvest in their operation
through research and development of new processes to facilitate
more product offerings and/or longer seasons. This transformation is
already underway, “....from 2007 to 2012 alone, when the last farm
census was done, production of vegetables in greenhouse structures
increased from 1,417 acres to 2,249 acres—an over 60 percent
increase in just five years” (Frost, 2017). This article was very
insightful in the work that small, especially northern farms, are
already engaging in to increase their yields.
One of the most substantial passages from our text reads, “…in
improving processes, we tend to improve only what we focus on. If
you focus primarily on speed, you’ll get faster…..” (Soomo Learning,
2022). I think that we can do more in our local economies than we are
currently. As consumers begin to demand it, supermarkets can oblige
the opportunity to fulfill their request. It will take some market
research and time to collect the data on what local producers can
offer and what consumers want to buy which presents itself as a risk.
A collaboration will minimize risk for both farmer and supermarket, as
they will share in cost, time, money.
References
Frost, J. (2017, February 10). Winter: The hottest thing in farming. Civil
Eats. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from
https://civileats.com/2017/01/03/winter-the-hottest-thing-in-
farming/ a
Soomo Learning. (2020). People, planet, and profit.
https://www.webtexts.com
