Virtual Farmers’ Market Is Closer To Home

The Virtual Farmers Market (VFM) is the brainchild of Marcus Carter, who has used his experiences of working in the farming industry and his family’s Welsh food manufacturing business to create www.vfmuk.com

“Farmers markets have become so successful because they bring consumers and producers together, but for some people getting to their local market is not so easy so we have created a way of bringing the farmers’ market experience to them,” said Marcus Carter, founder of the market and managing director of Carter Food House Ltd.

“Through the VFM consumers not only have the ease of ordering online, but can actually feel part of the market as they are able to interact with producers and retailers and learn more about them and their products 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is a great way to add goodies to the weekly shop – or buy a special gift - which are not always available in major retailers or distributed nation-wide.“

Welsh companies taking part in the market include the Wales the True Taste Award winners: The Patchwork Traditional Food Company, Halen Môn Sea Salt, Gower Cottage Brownies, and the Snowdonia Cheese Company. Products available from a wide range of companies – many of which are artisan – also include garlic, olive oil, bread, meat, smoked fish, tea and coffee.

The VFM is designed to solve the problem that all local producers have - that only nearby customers have the opportunity interact with suppliers and discuss the merits of the products. In the easy-to-understand Virtual Farmer’s Market, a representation of the customer (an “Avatar”) can wander freely around the grid of market stalls. The virtual customer can interact with virtual products and suppliers, using text and images as well as video frottage of each producer. What’s more the individual companies can invite their own customers on to the site and in so doing introduce them to other producers.