What is the issue?
Most of ALBA’s farmers market their product through local distributors, some of which have been instrumental in helping farmers move volumes of their organic produce. Indeed, they are the ‘bread and butter’ of most farmers. The challenge in this arrangement is that farmers sell on the ‘open market’, which can be volatile and sometimes drop too low for farmers to cover their harvest costs. Farmers do not know in advance what their product will sell for and take a big risk by doing so.
How did you address the issue?
ALBA has recognized the importance of distributors to its farmers’ business model, but also sees the need for farmers to access new opportunities. Our role as a partner of SWRFBC is to increase market access for our farmers and diversify their outlets, with a focus on consistent pricing and higher returns. Gold Star Foods, a large wholesaler that services school cafeterias nationwide, approached us in 2024. They wanted to develop a program for ALBA farmers, which they called ‘Growing Forward’. Gold Star was driven by their commitment to securing a transparent and reliable source of locally grown, organic produce. By working directly with ALBA farmers, they ensure that schools receive high-quality food while strengthening local supply chains and building trust with communities. ALBA staff helped bring interested farmers and Gold Star together, facilitating the initial crop planning and logistics. Furthermore, we helped farmers with Gold Star’s application and compliance process.
What has been the impact?
The pilot began with just a few farmers and has since grown to seven, with tens of thousands of dollars of product already being sold. The relationship has been successful, and more farmers are lining up. Gold Star can provide higher prices than most distributors in the area, and is also willing to pick up on site, saving farmers’ transportation costs including time off the farm. This has been a boon to many farmers’ businesses at ALBA. One farmer recently said, “If it wasn’t for Gold Star’s prices, I wouldn’t have made it through the year.” Gold Star has dubbed this their ‘Growing Forward’ program and is creating marketing materials to entice school nutrition staff and teachers to support ALBA’s small farmers.