Farm to Fork, MAI's local distribution program, delivers food from the farmers and food purveyors of Marin Farmers Markets to the many places where Marin residents work, learn, heal and play. Farm to Fork, is providing an opportunity for local schools, restaurants, corporate cafeterias, and catering services to walk their talk when it comes to more environmentally and socially responsible business practices by sourcing fresh locally grown food.

Every week, Farm to Fork delivers thousands of dollars of the freshest fruits and vegetables, sustainably-raised meats, and specialty prepared foods to a growing community of local customers. If you are a Marin Farmers Markets farmer or food purveyor, or a local business feeding your community and are interested in participating in Farm to Fork, please read on for more information including this week's order forms, customer profile forms, farmer availability forms, rules, and procedures.

FOR CUSTOMERS: SOURCE LOCALLY GROWN FOOD TODAY Buying locally grown food is no longer a trend, it's a movement. Join the growing community of schools, restaurants, corporate cafeterias, and catering services in Marin County that are supporting local farms and food purveyors by sourcing the freshest ingredients, grown and produced by the members of Marin Farmers Markets.

The convenience, freshness and quality of product, sustainable growing practices and distance from farm to fork appeal to our customers. "Previously when I wanted fresh local products to serve for our lunch program or a special event, I would have to take my wagon and a stack of cash to the farmer's market. Now it comes to our back door via the Farm to Fork program, which enables us to better support local farmers and offer their wonderful products to our students daily," said Branson School's Chef Richard Bartlett.

For more information please review the forms below and contact Leah Smith, Director of Outreach.

Customer Profile - PDF
Customer Profile - Word
Farm to Fork Policy and Practices - PDF

FOR FARMERS: DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
In the same way that a diverse collection of crops on the farm fosters a healthy, more sustainable system, diversity in business is equally important. Farm to Fork offers the members of Marin Farmers Market the opportunity to sell their products to the Marin community at large, reaching beyond the customers who frequent the market, to schools, restaurants, corporate cafeterias, catering services and more.

"The logistics work out really well for us because we are already harvesting for the Thursday Marin Farmers Market at the same time as for Farm to Fork. It's great because we already know we've sold product before we get to the market. Distribution of our product wholesale is key to our business model. Beyond benefiting us directly, Farm to Fork is a way to decrease our carbon footprint by adding more product to the trucks that are already heading to the market," said David Retsky, farmer of County Line Harvest, located in Marin and Sonoma.

For more information please review the forms below and contact Leah Smith, Director of Outreach.

Farmer Profile - PDF
Farmer Profile - Word
Farmer Availability - PDF
Farmer Availability - Excel
Farmer Participation Requirements - PDF Procedures and Rules- PDF

Contact Leah Smith
(415) 472-6100 x111
leah@marinagriculturalinstitute.org