A former auto-repair shop in Mid-City across from the Lafitte Greenway will be the site of a new market where farmers from around south Louisiana will be able to sell fresh produce, meat, seafood and dairy products on a consignment basis, seven days a week.
The market, known as Farmer’s and located in the former R&S Auto Service on a triangular lot between N. Hagan Avenue and Moss Street, will be a “farm stop.” It’s a new concept gaining popularity around the country that aims to give small farmers greater access to people interested in buying locally grown produce, thereby strengthening regional food systems.
At a farm stop, farmers deliver a week’s worth of produce or so at a time, set their own price for the goods and turn over the marketing and sales to the store, which is open year round. The farm stop owner keeps a portion of the sales to cover overhead — 30% in the case of the local store — and the rest goes to the farmers.
“It’s an everyday brick and mortar grocery store that is 100% local,” said Caroline Rogers, who, with her husband Mike Bertel, is behind the Mid-City iteration of the concept. “Everybody knows exactly where their food is coming from and where the money is going.”
The local farm stop will be located across the street from the site of the Crescent City Farmers Market’s Thursday event, which is held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the greenway. Bertel said he doesn’t want to compete with the Thursday market but to complement it…