A Word from One of Our Customers
We sell our meats all over the state to numerous retail and institutional customers. We know that consumers buy and enjoy them, because our customers keep coming back for more to refill their cases. What we don’t always hear, though, is the greater impact our product has. So when we recently spoke to Justin See, the Meat Buyer at Bloomingfoods, we learned some good things. Bloomingfoods is a naturally-grown, organic and local food co-op in Bloomington, Indiana, and This Old Farm has been doing business with them for about 3 years now.
Bloomingfoods used to source its pork and beef from a southern Indiana farm which raised all beef (but not all of its pork) on pasture. When this farm raised its prices significantly several years ago, Justin says Bloomingfoods was forced to look for a more cost-effective alternative. At first, the idea of working with a food hub rather than a single farm took a bit of a shift in thinking for Bloomingfoods, according to Justin. But he’s pleased with how the business relationship has progressed. This Old Farm, he says, has increased Bloomingfoods’ access to pastured meat at a price point their shoppers can afford.
That’s a key point, because Bloomington (home to Indiana University) tends to be Indiana’s most progressive city, and demand for fresh, local, healthy food is high there. But poverty levels are high there, too. Bloomington is situated in Monroe County, which is largely rural, and our research showed that Monroe County ranks 72nd in median household income among Indiana’s 92 counties. Eight percent of the population relied on SNAP benefits, a stunning 80% increase over a 10-year period.
At This Old Farm, we believe that access to Good Food should not be limited only to consumers with high household incomes. Through relationships like the one we have with Bloomingfoods, we’re making that a reality.
