It's easy to feel powerless in the face of the fact that nearly everything that comes in a package and is sold in a supermarket today is made by one of only 10 mega corporations or by a company owned by them. The ingredients in those products, which as often as not include multisyllabic synthetic molecules and genetically engineered crops, come from industrial farms and could be grown and processed anywhere on the planet. The cost to the consumer is kept low, while the price we pay in terms of our own health and that of the environment remains hidden.
There are, of course, alternatives. In larger cities and throughout the Hudson Valley, there are wonderful farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA) schemes that forge alliances between farmers and consumers. CSAs were developed as a way for farmers to get much needed capital early in the season; subscribers share the risks, and rewards, as shareholders in the farm. For an average cost of around $500 a share, which can sometimes be offset by an exchange for a few days work on the farm, CSA members get weekly supplies of fresh, seasonal produce.
Still, these "alternatives" remain tied to a demographic that is defined rather narrowly (you know who you are, dear reader). As long as we conceive of local food as "alternative," industrial food remains the norm. But even the most conscientious among us knows that it can be difficult to maintain standards for food choices, given the demands of work and family and the convenience of one-stop shopping at the supermarket. A paradigm shift is in order, one in which the consumption of local, healthy, sustainable food becomes normative. This requires new modes of distribution that would make farm-fresh produce just as convenient as the alternative.
"Unlike a typical CSA," says Williams, "we work with over 30 different farms, instead of only one. Our products include Certified Organic, organically grown, IPM (Integrated Pest Management) and conventional small farm methods. There is no upfront payment, as opposed to one or two large payments with a CSA. Customers can start and stop deliveries anytime. They can also change the size of the bags they receive. We may offer a larger variety and smaller amounts than the average CSA." Emphasizing the key role of CSAs, Williams acknowledges that " what we don't offer is a personal relationship with the farmer, which is very important to people who participate in CSAs. Another important component is sharing risk and reward with the farmer. If the harvest is great the customer receives more and less if it is not. If I meet a likely CSA customer, I suggest they go that route."
Subscriptions to Field Goods cost from $20-$30 per week. Subscribers gather their weekly veggies at one of over 30 pick-up locations, many of which are corporate-partner sites that Williams works with. Working closely with companies' wellness programs, Williams has been able to greatly expand the marketplace for local farm produce. "We can't thank Donna enough for helping us to break even when our CSA sales are low—she's marketing to the corporate world, a niche that not many can tap into. Her model can grow with the growing number of young farmers," says young farmer Dan McManus, who, together with his partner Tess Parker, runs Common Hands Farm in Claverack, near Hudson. Now in their third year, Common Hands started farming around the same time as Williams launched Field Goods. "Donna and I met when she was in the planning stage of her business." From 2010 to 2011, Williams was one of the guest teachers for a micro business marketing segment course offered by Columbia County Economic Development. "A lot of young producers and entrepreneurs have gone through that program and it's a great networking event. I explained farms, she had the business know-how." Common Hands grows a diverse array of as many as 150 varieties of crops throughout the season. "This year, we did everything from ground cherries to Jerusalem artichokes, melons, peppers, herbs, greens and specialty bok choy. We like to grow things at the fringe—at farmer's markets, we try to offer something no one has seen, such as long, carrot-like turnips" says McManus. "Her model can grow with the growing number of young farmers and really helps expand the way that people are able to access food and that farmers are able to access people."
Field Goods currently delivers in the Capital Region and to the Upper and Mid-Hudson Valley. In January, they will begin deliveries in the Lower Hudson Valley. "From our location in Athens, NY, we can serve a 150-mile radius, which will offer us opportunities to serve communities in Massachusetts and Connecticut as well," says Williams. Delivery sites currently include Albany Medical Center, SUNY Albany, Bard College, and several Capital District schools, as well as many corporate sites. "In the Capital District region, we have been delighted to see an increasing number of organizations, as we say, 'getting on the veggie train' and opening up their doors as 'open to the public' sites, as a way to support local agriculture and wellness in their communities." In November, Field Goods made its first deliveries to the Kingston YMCA. To celebrate the partnership, they will donate $10 to the YMCA Farm Project for every new subscription to a Fruit and Vegetable Bag throughout December. They will also be hosting a Wellness Information Session on December 4 at 6:45 pm. "The YMCA is our first community site in Kingston. We are especially excited to work with the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County as they have a unique combination of both wellness and agriculture programs... a great match with Field Goods." Launched in September 2013, the Kingston YMCA Farm Project is a quarter-acre farm behind the YMCA building right in midtown Kingston.
Developing new customers for local, healthy food by expanding into previously underserved communities without easy access to farmers' markets and CSAs, including school systems, is a big step toward changing the way we all think about food. Thanks to an industrialized food system, we are accustomed to the ability to buy produce that is both out of season and from far-off places. We are used to deciding what's for dinner before we go shopping, not based on what is fresh and ripe at any given time. "It can rock people's world—I have some customers who tell me that they have a great time figuring out what to do with produce they've never seen," says Williams. "Old-time farmers tell me that I'm like the old-time vegetable peddler. You got what was in season, the way we used to eat."