Executive Director's Monthly Message

The many avenues to fulfilling consumer demand to “buy local”

by Eric Larson

Lifestyle publications, electronic media, and newspapers can’t seem to get enough of the “buy local” angle for stories. Then there are the restaurants and markets that promote themselves as serving or offering locally grown farm products. Add to the mix the local food movement and its legion of locavores, and now you have reason to stand up and take notice, especially when you consider that the sprawling Los Angeles basin and all of Orange County are within the sphere of what would be considered local for products produced in San Diego County. The question is: How does a farmer take advantage of that market?

The most obvious and quickest way to get access to local consumers is through farmers’ markets. Dozens of growers make farmer’s markets a key part of their marketing program, but not everyone has the time it takes to man a booth at several markets a week. Also, some crops such as citrus and avocados are already well-represented in the markets and there is no room for more. Community Supported Agriculture, commonly referred to as CSAs, is another popular market channel, but that requires production of a wide variety of products to fill the boxes that are delivered to subscribers. There is also the option of opening a farm stand or inviting the public on to your farm. While good for some, those are big commitments.

If the strategies above don’t work for you, the answer has to lie on store shelves. The most recent edition of edible SAN DIEGO magazine sports a full back cover advertisement for Whole Foods Markets with the lead line “Supporting local is always in season.” The ad goes on to brag how they like to work closely with local farmers. Even Wal-Mart is getting into the act with their stated commitment to sourcing local products. Now, keep in mind every store is going to have a different interpretation of “local” and buying strategies may be hard to work with, but, by any definition, San Diego County would be considered a local source for more than 17 million Southern California consumers. It would seem there is a niche in there somewhere for a substantial number of farmers, many of whom will be looking for an alternative in the face of rising water prices.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve received inquiries from non-farmers who recognize the local market opportunity and are doing their due diligence before taking the plunge into farming. They were researching fresh pomegranates, olives for oil, Oriental vegetables, and even fish. Now those ideas may not hit the mark, but even people outside of farming are thinking local.

In the next few years, we should expect to see a growing number of producers and entry-level farmers seeking ways to make the most of the local market. Some may introduce a new crop to the area while others will find novel ways to get their products in front of the public. The market is there. It will be interesting to see how it is filled.