2020 Summit Lightning Talks - Chris Bardenhagen

While local and direct marketing options are increasingly robust, eaters (consumers) are seeking to purchase a larger part of their direct market basket at one time, utilizing CSA shares and online ordering platforms. At the same time, entry into even smaller sale grocery or other wholesale markets presents great opportunity, but for individual farmers requires high marketing costs in time and other resources, as well as logistical challenges. Collective businesses can be used for efficiently organizing marketing and sales efforts, brand building, and product standards. “Traditional” entities such as cooperatives and Limited Liability Companies are ideal for farmers to use to market their products together online or via a CSA share, while certain types of nonprofit associations can be used to develop branded products marketable at various scales and venues. Aggregation of branded products for regional supermarket sales can be done using a combination of entities.