Shared Harvest CT: On Board the CT Farm Fresh Express!
Buy Local Connecticut!
Shared Harvest Connecticut is partnering with the brilliantly passionate Deb Marsden of CT Farm Fresh Express as a value-added delivery option for the bounty of CT's local food supply!
CT Farm Fresh Express believes in eating local. They deliver locally grown products, CSA shares, prepared dinners from elite chefs, and much, much more directly to your door - whether it's your home, or to a restaurant or school or institutional establishment who wants to serve local and fresh food.
Growing, one step at a time
One of the wonderful things about Shared Harvest Connecticut is that it is an evolutionary system. I'll explain that. There is a software base that exists - it includes all of the wobbly-gook (well, wobbly-gook in MY understanding) digital programming, site functionality, and web portal tools that you see now.
Being an "evolutionary system" means that on top of the software base which you are currently experiencing, the Edibles Advocate Alliance can identify specific needs for CT and then add programming to the site to accomplish our collective goals of preserving farms and supporting producers.
We PASSIONATELY believe in collaboration! How are we helping Deb Marsden?
We're taking small steps, finding and understanding best options for collaboration. One potential option for the future: it will cost the EA Alliance about $4,000 to fully integrate (on a digital level) CT Farm Fresh Express into Shared Harvest CT on the PayPal interface. We will study all of our options as the system grows, investing wisely to best meet our customer needs and our agricultural growth.
How would we pay for that? That is where your advertising sales come in. From our perspective we know that there are companies and organizations out there who will be thrilled to know that their marketing dollars for exposure to our 2,000+ visitors a day will go directly back into supporting the Sustainable Food Alliance that we are building in Connecticut.
YOUR MARKETING dollars go DIRECTLY back into supporting organizations like CT Farm Fresh Express. As Deb grows, our farmers grow. As our farmers grow, more farmland can be preserved. You get the picture!
How Shared Harvest CT will grow over the next two months
Shared Harvest Connecticut is scheduled to expand in the following ways:
- Google map integration - you can see producers directly in your area
- PayPal integration - you will be able to buy/sell - trade dollars directly over the site
- Directory expansion - you will have easier access to searching for products by DIRECTORY, such as by "Certified Organic Farmers", and in other ways
- Integration of CT Farm Fresh Express into the check-out process. When you wish to purchase something, you will have the option of clicking YES or NO to having Deb bring you your products. If you select NO, then you will be instructed to contact the listing to coordinate your own options.
How CT Farm Fresh Express can service you: Now and in the Future
Deb has warehouse space available. If you are a producer who will be selling often through Shared Harvest Connecticut or through CT Farm Fresh Express then you should contact Deb so she can have some sort of supply on hand on your behalf. This is a time and cost savings.
While we are waiting for our PayPal integration to come online, you will need to contact Deb directly for delivery options. When our PayPal integration becomes available, you will be able to select CT Farm Fresh Delivery at check out, and we will verify if Deb is able to assist you.
Buy Local Connecticut: CT Farm Fresh DELIVERY
Please be patient while we grow! Deb amasses all of her delivery orders by Tuesday noon. If you are a producer, Deb will pick up your products on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, and if you are a consumer, household, restaurant, or institution Deb will deliver your order on Thursday or Friday.
There are no guarantees that CT Farm Fresh Express can deliver every order. If you live in Fairfield County and you ordered one box of raspberries from Windham County, we may be in contact with you to assist you in finding a local producer closer to you and help you contact your farmer/producer to arrange options with them unless CTFFE has a pick up or delivery in that area. You may also choose from many items available on CTFFE's website where delivery fees are adjusted accordingly.
CT Farm Fresh Express Delivery fees to the following counties are:
Litchfield $18*
Fairfield $15*
New Haven $15*
Middlesex $12*
Hartford $15*
Windham $18*
Tolland $18*
New London $15*
*(plus surcharge for farm pick-up)
As the producer listings and the consumer purchasing grows, CT Farm Fresh Express' delivery service gets wider and perhaps eventually, more frequent.
How fast Deb can grow in her CT Farm Fresh Express service offerings depend directly on how much we utilize her services.
Participate in our growth
Throughout this process, and throughout your transactions with local food & agriculture in Connecticut, please let us know how Shared Harvest Connecticut can serve you better. What's missing? What can we fix? Talk to us! Want to collaborate? Participate in the process! We're here to serve you!
BUY LOCAL CONNECTICUT!!!!
Call Deb & CT Farm Fresh Express: 860-917-7627
or email: ctffe1@me.com
or web: www.ctffe.com