Farmer's Markets at your Fingertips

Now here's an interesting thought; what if there were some sort of directory for fresh farm foods? It turns out that the Arizona Farm Bureau is trying to provide just that. An article in the AZ Republic lays out the concept:

Sahuarita pecans, White Mountain lavender, Camp Verde corn.

The Arizona Farm Bureau's Web page now offers information on where to buy these and many other agricultural goods directly from farmers and ranchers throughout the state.

The object of the new Fill Your Plate feature of www.azfb.org is to introduce individuals, chefs and other businesses to local growers and producers, said Julie Murphree, coordinator and creator of the project.

Some businesses are in cities and others are tucked away in remote rural areas. Although some will ship goods to customers and allow online orders, others are so small that they can only sell to people who drive up, she said. One goal is to let people know of farms in their area that they may not know about.

"The idea behind it is that if you want to get something directly from the farm, you may want to go to the farm. The neat thing about this is that then you get to meet them personally," she said.

"My desire for the public is to feel the farmer-rancher connection, and this is simply one of the tools."

About 40 companies are participating now but Murphree expects more to sign up once they become aware of the virtual farmers market. It is limited to Arizona companies that sell directly to the public.

Check out the rest of the article for some examples of what to find, and check out the website here. Just click on whichever farm interests you and a popup box will give you the information on location and hours.