BOSTON — Grocery delivery, drinks on demand and even sending off your dry cleaning without having to leave your house...whatever you need, there's probably an app for it.
However, when it comes to the fresh produce of a farmer's market, your only option is to grab your reusable shopping bag and hit up your local spot. Or at least, it was.
A locally-developed app is now bringing the farmer's market to your smartphone.
For farmers like Scott Freitas of Middleboro's Freitas Farm, the app is a true game-changer.
A regular at several farmer's markets, Freitas and others like him head out at various times, rain or shine, to bring their produce and goods to various towns. While consumers tell him it's worth it, this system isn't always convenient for the consumer.
With technology, the system got a 21st-century upgrade - enter Market 2Day.
One day, Insa Elliott, a health food enthusiast, came up with the idea of bridging the gap between consumers and farmers markets.
As the founder and CEO of Market 2Day, Elliott describes it as "a mobile app, shopping and delivery service for farmers' markets".
With her app, Elliott is bringing green acres to city slickers and says there's way more than just veggies to chose from.
"You can get bread, you can get fish, you can get meat [and even] cookies! There’s actually an amazing amount of really cool products," said Elliott.
According to Elliott, grocery stores source many of their items from across the country and around the world and believes that's bad for nutrition as well as for the environment.
Market 2Day slashes the travel time and makes the whole experience more convenient.
The sugar snap peas being picked up in the morning, for example, will land on someone's doorstep by nighttime.
"It’s cool because we’re really excited about the produce," said Elliott.
And, of course, by using the app consumers are supporting local farmers and locally-sourced foods.
"It’s a great connection of the farmer with the public, picking out fresh produce," said Elliott.
To make that connection, customers log into the app, chose their local farmer's market, place their order and have it delivered to their front door.
The app's delivery fee ranges from $5 to $10 and serves the Boston metro area right now.
If you live somewhere else and your favorite location isn't listed, check out Market 2Day's website here and let them know where you would like to see them expand to.
Cox Media Group