I notice that they assure us that "nothing is warehoused." Does kinda make you wonder about those late-December Michigan orchards. Also, I wonder about shipping costs; I went so far as to begin to place a bogus order for those apples (intending to cancel once I saw the costs to ship), but I wasnt able to do that without registering....

I'm with you on our local farmer's markets, EL. I feel more comfortable, albeit much colder, when I can look the famer in the eye, and he knows my name!

www.FromTheFarm.com is a Farmers Market that is all about uniting The American Farmer with the American Consumer. Whether it is a “Local Grower” of Apples or a banana grower in Hawaii, it is our passion to return to the Farm retail prices, improve Farmers returns and unite the consumer and Farmer. At the same time we are bringing to the consumer flavor they only would get in a Farmers Market on commodities that would never show up in their Local Farmers Markets. This is not an us vs. them venue by any means. In some cases like Apples it might be better for a consumer to purchase an Apple in a Baltimore Farmers Market, unless they wanted a Honey Crisp Apple and it is not available in the “Local Farmers Market”, or they specifically want a Michigan grown McIntosh, or the consumer lives in Florida and Florida does not grow apples! Baltimore will never have Hawaiian Candy Apple Banana’s or Maui Sweet Onions, Baltimore’s Farmers Market in May and June will never have 10 row Bing Cherries, the same Cherries that are exported to Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Cody Herring a farmer in Flat Head Lake Montana sells the most unreal cherries in July and August that are the size of a 50 cent piece! Consumers on the east coast cannot get a Tree Ripened Pluot, Appricot, in May and June. This venue allows farmers to keep their fruit on trees 2-3 week longer and supply Peaches, Plums and Nectarines that are actually ripe and don’t taste like cardboard. This morning, we were called by a chef at the Omaha, Nebraska Embassy suite hotel excited that he could purchase Quail eggs from Turnbull Farms in Bloomington, Indiana! He ordered 10 dozen for his kitchen. When they arrive they will have been laid 2-3 days prior. He is excited that he knows where his food came from and being able now to have a relationship with that vendor at the touch of his finger tips!
Price Points! We are forced to sell in bulk “Costco” portions due freight costs. If we sold 1 lb. of Apples the freight would prohibit a value to consumers. Here in California, apples are being sold in stores for 1.99 a lb. to 2.99 a lb. Our size box weighs 8-10 lbs. So, a 10 lb. box of Pink Lady Apples that costs 19.95 (without Freight) may end up costing a consumer 2.99 a lb. (delivered to their home) though I challenge you to go to your local Store and compare “Pink Lady’s with Pink Lady’s”! How many times have you purchased a Peach, brought it home and your family could not eat them and you threw them out! How expensive was that purchase? Price points are misleading. Here is an example: we all complain about the cost of Gasoline at a gas station, none of us realize the most expensive liquid at the gas station is the 1.99, 20 oz. bottle of water (comes out to $12.70 a gallon) you are purchasing with that 80.00 dollar tank of gas.
If we don’t support our American Farmers we will lose the most important asset we have in this country. We encourage everyone to continue to purchase from Farmers Markets locally, in Retail stores, and at venues like www.FromTheFarm! This is not a venue of choose us over them, when you can purchase a local peach with flavor by all means purchase it! This is a venue to expand your menu, expanding your relationships, and realize that in today’s society with today’s Technology “Local” is being redefined daily.
P.S. in 6 weeks our site will be updated and improved with regards to Freight issues and costs to the consumer.

Multiple posting, shilling, bad grammar and gratuitous capitalization! My, what a bargain, for those shipping costs.

Gee, I might have got it the first time but three times?

FromTheFarm.com is a good, honest, an trustworthy online company. They work very close with farmers all over the country to ship product "directly" from specific farmers right to consumers' doors without having to travel great distances. FTF works very hard with farmers to guarantee that only the very best premium products go into boxes and shipped to customers. As I always say and respect, "You get what you pay for." If you want the best, pay for it. If you don't, then buy poor quality that tastes lousy for a cheap price. Everyone has a choice. I prefer good, wholesome quality "From The Farm."

I'd rather go to the Waverly market, even in the dead of winter. The postings by FromTheFarm shills turned me off the site.

For me, a large part of the farmer's market experience is talking with and developing a relationship with the farmers. I don' t see that happening on a website.

Rather than talking with a farmer in person about what fertilizers and pesticides, if any and/or why, that they use, how local they are, when it was picked, etc., I'd be relying on a web page, which has no body language, no tone, doesn't look me in the eye.

I'm sorry, if I just want to feel virtuous with no work, I'll shop at Whole Paycheck (sarcasm alert).

Ugh! Too many words. Waverly Market is much nicer.

Gang,

Maybe it's my farmboy roots...or maybe I'm naive, but I think we're being a bit too hard on FTF. Yes, I expressed some reservations earlier (and I don't think I'm likely to be a regular shopper at FTF), but I respect them for trying to fill a niche and if their mission is as stated (by admittedly some clumsy "shilling"), then ... where's the harm? Their webpage offers a wide range of products, and not everything can be had at Waverly....

Note to shills: you gain a lot of credibility with this crowd if you admit, up front, that you represent the subject enterprise.

But, then again, maybe I'm just (as captcha would have it) in fatigue.

Derrell Kelso acknowledged his relationship to FTF. His missive would have been a lot easier to read, though, had he put in some paragraph breaks and refrained from gratuitous capitalization.

Ron Pelger, on the other hand, didn't acknowledge his relationship to FTF.

Mushrooms from California? Olive oil from Texas?
I don't care what anybody says: The packaging and shipping expenditures have to put a tremendous strain on the planet's resources to get simple foods from one place to another. Locavores--unite!

On the other hand, this stuff could make for great gifts...

goutier McIlwaine (my ancient Scotish bagpipe player name)

If you don't like the web idea - don't buy anything from it. Pretty simple. Since when did folks in Baltimore become such self-righteous jerks?

It's true, ASH. Wanting to actually go to a local farmer's market instead of ordering food from across the country online makes us self-righteous jerks. Or, no, wait, expressing that opinion makes us such? Or... ?

"You get what you pay for"? Not even remotely true! Also, the farmers markets are expensive enough in person, often outrageous. And it's not unusual to have to throw something away. I've bought awful corn at the farmers markets, corn that should never ben sold and corn that the farmer obviously knew was far sub par too!

You're right Cleatus. For now on I will only buy olive oil produced in Maryland from locally grown olives.

I don't normally do this, but...

LOL, ELL!