Farmers To You has entered a new stage in its journey to transform our relationship with food.
I am no longer the only owner of this amazing organization, and it feels wonderful. For seven years, the Farmers To You staff and I have worked incredibly hard to create a new regional food system model – one that directly connects you with the farmers who feed you weekly. One that supports and encourages these farmers to produce the best quality food, while caring for the land, animals and people for generations to come. A human-scale system built on personal relationships.
This movement is far too important to our families and farmers to be held by me alone. So, I invite you to join us in ownership.
As we announced in the spring, we have opened up the possibility for our partner families to buy shares in the company. Three of you have joined me as owners already. Welcome.
Originally the minimum investment was $10,000, but a number of you felt this was out of reach, so we have lowered the minimum to $5,000 for qualified investors. Our goal is to raise $20,000 per month for the next 5 months to allow us to invest in marketing and outreach efforts this fall, and to assist with cash flow during the slower the summer months.
Many of you likely have investments in companies you have no relationship to – it’s the most common form of investment. Today, I would also like to encourage you to invest in one you know intimately – the organization that makes it possible for you to source incredibly good and consciously produced food all year long. It’s a local organization that is actively creating the kind of world we want, as well as a future financial return.
We are very close to our goal of financial sustainability. This past May, after completing a successful spring membership promotion, we ended the month with a profit for the first time in Farmers To You history. We also set records for the number of orders delivered, average order size, and average weekly revenue.
We expect to return to profitability once more in the fall when you all return from summer vacations and we see the seasonal increase in new partners. As we all build this model, its value will increase and many more of you will feel comfortable owning a part of your food system. I encourage you to step up now and lead the way to a healthy future.
Tod, one of our new owners, summed it all up when we met this week to get to know each other in Cambridge: “It’s not about making a profit. Sure, it’d be nice to turn a few bucks, but our investment is more than that. It’s a chance to invest in the future of sustainable food production. As it currently malfunctions, the food system is broken, literally from the ground up. I think investing in Farmers to You is a way for me to actively help rebuild it, the right way. It is a privilege to be able to make this investment.”
I want to particularly acknowledge Tod and the other very committed families who have already invested, and thank them for their confidence. The same gratitude goes out to all of you who also plan to join us, and to those of you who are supporting by ordering from us each week. Your support and relationship is key to making this all work.
My email is Greg@FarmersToYou.com and my cell phone is 802-881-3447 – feel free to call with any questions, and come join me in this venture to change our relationship with our food, our health, and our communities.
