The objective of this design is to create a trickle-up effect of national food quality by enabling low-income populations to improve their diet through subsidized farmers market food purchases.
For many years, locally grown food was the only option until the industrial revolution changed food production forever. Since then, its not the farmers’ behavior that has changed, its the irresistible low price of industrial foods that have influenced our purchasing decisions. We want to level the field by rewiring the system.
While current farmers markets are wonderful things, there are two major shortcomings:
1. Due to the higher price-point of Farmers Market food, lower income families with tight budgets are inhibited from purchasing fresh, local produce.
2. There are inefficient farm-to-table food display and transportation methods for the farmers.
Our solution is to increase the purchasing power of low-income populations within urban farmers market systems by offering price subsidies to these people. The subsidies would be funded by the purchases of farm-to-table box systemd by the farmers.
Our goal is not to standardize, organize or gentrify any of the nuances of the farmer’s market. Rather, we want to bolster them. First, we aim to help farmers face a growing demand for their products through the introduction of The Farm Box and its product ecosystem. The Farm Box is a designed crate and packaging system set within an online set of services specifically tailored to farmers’ needs and habits. Second, we aim to provide a lower price threshold to local fresh food for everyone in the surrounding community, starting with those who can’t afford it. Purchases made with food stamps at the farmers market are subsidized by the sales of the Farm Box. The subsidy increases purchase power for local, healthy foods often viewed as a privilege. Our design proposal of the 2 for 1 Initiative effects both parties, shoppers and farmers, with one product. 2 for 1.
