For small and mid-sized organic farmers, the path from their fields to your carts is filled with barriers. Distributors call the shots, demanding large quantities, price breaks, and perfect looking produce. But some organic food distributors have a different vision.
In California’s Central Coast, Coke Farm has created its own model. In 1978, Dale Coke planted his first half-acre of organic strawberries, a harvest that sparked a mission to support other local organic farms. Today, the organic-only food hub represents more than 100 farmers, 95% of which are minority and women-owned.
Olivier Griss joined the team to help local family farms find access to national markets. Farmers are the heart of the business: Coke’s adherence to growing the best organic produce in California has created a devoted customer base. Its commitment to community can be seen in Coke’s partnership with a local nonprofit that creates economic opportunity for limited-resource farmers through training in organic farm management.
The Coke network makes it possible for small organic farmers to reach distributors, retailers, co-ops, specialty mom and pop outfits, and eaters like you. A rotating product list of niche items like red okra, purple snow peas, sour gherkins, specialty chicories, dry farmed Early Girl tomatoes, and Meyer lemons serve as beautiful reminders of the benefits of supporting local organic farms.
Says Griss, “Let’s just call it the preventative medicine for humankind and the planet.”
Illustration courtesy of Coke Farm
This article was originally published in the winter issue of The Cultivator, Cornucopia’s quarterly newsletter. Donate today, and we’ll mail you the spring issue, filled with stories you won’t find anywhere else.
