The expansion of an Indianapolis-based company is delivering what could be the future of locally-grown food to Owensboro.
Market Wagon is a food delivery service that brings farm-fresh produce, artisan goods, and locally-produced food products right to your door.
“Think of it as an online farmer’s market,” said Amber Kelly, the Evansville Market Manager of Market Wagon. “We get local food to people who might not shop locally.”
The company launched three years ago in Indianapolis and expanded to Evansville and other northern areas more than a year ago. Now the service is available in Owensboro.
Kelly said all shoppers need to do is log on to the Market Wagon website and they can choose from produce, meats and baked goods made from the region. Deliveries are made on Thursdays, so shoppers have until Tuesday to lock in their choices.
Orders can be picked up for no delivery charge at a market host, or delivered to home or office for $5.95. In Owensboro, The Spot Creamery and Hillview Farms are market hosts.
“You can live in the middle of nowhere and we will bring it to your house,” Kelly said.
The producers are still very much involved with the process. After shoppers pick the desired items on the website, the orders go directly to the farmers. On Wednesday mornings, farmers bring the requested items to Evansville and fill the bags themselves. Customers can even use the chat feature on the website to ask farmers questions about the food.
“It gives farmers another place to sell their things,” said Kelly. “We have produce but also bakery and meat items.” She noted that the meat items vary from grass-fed to traditional to fit every budget.
It seems to be a win-win for both the producer and the consumer. The farmers don’t have to pay to list their items, Market Wagon takes a cut of items sold to cover marketing and selling.
Making things better for the farmers is why Market Wagon was created. Kelly said the company’s founder, Nick Carter, has seen small farms die out and wanted to create a way for them to get more products to people.
Local businesses Wendella’s Canine Cafe, Cecil Farms, JD’s Country Milk and Hillview Farms have all participated in the wagon, she said.
There’s no commitment or subscription to try the wagon. Visit www.marketwagon.com to see participating vendors.
