LocalHarvest.com Unites Farmer, Consumer

LocalHarvest.com Unites Farmer, Consumer

SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--Farmers and consumers have a new way to do business. Afarmer-to-consumer website, www.LocalHarvest.com,was launched by Ocean Group, an Internet engineering company. The site allows consumers tofind information about local farmers' markets and small farms in their areas. Informationabout Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is also provided. CSA is a direct marketingprogram where users pay a seasonal fee to receive fresh produce weekly from local farms.

The site was developed to get consumers back in touch with small farms. Large"agribusiness" has put more than two-thirds of United States farmers out ofbusiness in the last 50 years, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics.