CARTERVILLE, Ill. — Liz DeRuntz purchased locally grown golden beets, baby kale, spinach, carrots, lip balm and homemade strawberry thumbprint cookies.

 

All of the products came from various local growers and makers, just as she could find at one of numerous farmers’ markets around southern Illinois – but she ordered all of the items without leaving the comfort of her own home.

Welcome to the world of farmers’ markets in the age of digital communications. DeRuntz is the operations manager for LEAF, the Little Egypt Alliance of Farmers, which started the first online farmers’ market in Illinois on May 1, and are thrilled to have their first 100 customers signed up, ordering and picking up the locally grown products they want once a week.

That’s if they want to order products that frequently. Just like farmers’ markets throughout the region, they can purchase locally grown products when they want to and know they are supporting the local economy.

“The people who have joined so far, I would say love farmers’ markets to begin with, but we’re also filling different needs for people who can’t necessarily get to a market when they want to,” DeRuntz said.

LEAF, which was founded last year by seven southern Illinois farmers to support small, sustainable farms, created the online farmers’ market. LEAF’s goals are to make ordering local food easier for busy customers and to support small farmers by providing an online marketplace to sell goods.

Group leaders have attracted more than twice the customers they thought they would. “So far it has exceeded our expectations,” DeRuntz said. The group is also supplying locally grown products to several restaurants in the region.

The online market at www.leaffood hub.com is another way beyond traditional farmers’ markets to make it easier for people to buy locally sourced goods without having to drive to markets at times that may be inconvenient.

"That’s the whole idea; people are busy and have things to do all the time, so we hope this can help provide them with the local food they want and enjoy,” DeRuntz said.

The online market operates similarly to CSAs, whereby customers pay up front and create their own account. Customers  can add money to the account throughout the season. The cost of any weekly orders is then deducted from the account.

LEAF wants participants to invest as much as $200 initially, with no penalties or weekly minimums for each order. The group is offering bonuses of 5 percent for deposits of $200-$350 and 10 percent for deposits of more than $350.

“It really is the same items you would get at a farmers’ market on Saturday in the city, only more convenient,” DeRuntz said. “We know the social aspect of the farmers’ market is missing, which is why we’re thinking of having something like mixers once or twice a year with our growers.”

So far, LEAF has nine growers in southern Illinois participating in the program and most adhere to the practices connected with sustainably grown products. All of the growers already participate in local farmers’ markets.