Name: Farm-to-front-door options grow as Local Farm OK dials in 405 service
Brand: oklahoman.com
SKU: oklahoman-com-221
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Farm-to-front-door options grow as Local Farm OK dials in 405 service

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Dave Cathey The impact of COVID-19 has been overwhelmingly negative, but delivery options for farm-fresh food is among the few net-positives.The pandemic slowed the arrival of one service and inspired the birth of two others. No doubt more delivery options are closer than we think thanks to the mother of invention's ongoing captivity by the coronavirus.Since March, both Urban Agrarian markets and Guilford Gardens have upgraded online ordering options and added delivery options.But long before March, Local Farm OK was planning to expand its farm-to-table grocery service from Tulsa. Owners Ashley and Ben Neal began serving the area in 2015, promising a direct line between local farmers and food producers and Oklahoma supper tables via refrigerated truck, but it also opens new opportunity for entrepreneurs west of Tulsa.“Now that we’re in the 405 market, we’re looking for new products from the community to deliver,” said Ashley Neal.If the Neals don’t look the part of third-generation Oklahoma farmer, it’s because they’re not.The 30somethings balance raising daughter, Taylor, and son, Max, with expanding agriculture-based businesses now, but once upon a time toiled in corporate worlds with global reach. Ben was in the family manufacturing business, which produced airplane parts. Ashley lived in Spain for nearly a decade, working for both "Elle"and "Business Week" magazines before returning to manage international sales for a Tulsa software company.“This is not the life I dreamed of, but I'm loving it,” she said.Before Ben sold the manufacturing business in 2014, he spent weekends toiling on 160 acres near Eufaula, expressing away the stress and anxiety of manufacturing for the aeronautics industry by growing lettuce, corn, squash, tomatoes and kale.“There came a point the only time I saw Ben smiling was when he was farming,” Ashley said.Existential crisis was met with action. Ben sold his interests in aeronautics and turned to aeroponics.In 2015, the Neals purchased land near Glenpool where Ben began reverse-engineering his way to what is now Sage Farms.“Ben is a business-builder — it's what he’s good at,” Ashley explained. “He knows what goes into creating a successful model, build partnerships. All the little things you learn from practical business experience.”She said Local Farm OK initially targeted hospitals and commercial kitchens for their business, but they ran up against a fundamental challenge all local growers face: distribution.“We were using a major distributor for a while,” she said. “But our products would sit on shelves too long and lose their integrity. To fix that, the costs started getting out of hand.”They partnered with a software company out of Colorado to set up an ordering system that allows customers to subscribe for a small fee. Subscribers can then opt in or out of weekly bags that start at $19.99. Add-ons are also available.“You could be a monthly subscriber and really only get one bag a month,” Ashley said.Subscribers also get Ashley’s weekly recipe drops.“I’ve always been passionate about food and cooking. I love sharing recipes and tips. I love sharing farm-fresh flavor,” she said. “It’s so awesome when people can taste the difference.”For more information, including available items, go online to .Urban Agrarian's Chelsey Simpson said their new, improved online ordering system added Instacart as an option three weeks ago. Simpson said Urban Agrarian is the only small local retailer on Instacart right now, "which we are pumped about."Both the Edmond and downtown locations offer curbside service for online and call-in orders."We also just added wine to our Edmond store this week, but it is not available for delivery," Simpson said. "We are offering it for pre-order via our website, however."Make orders online at .Kamala Gamble's Guilford Gardens Community Supported Agriculture program has adapted to pandemic life with a new online ordering system that includes pickup and delivery options. Gamble also operates Kam's Kookery catering, which keeps her plenty busy. Keep up with her offerings online at .

Dave Cathey The impact of COVID-19 has been overwhelmingly negative, but delivery options for farm-fresh food is among the few net-positives.The pandemic slowed the arrival of one service and inspired the birth of two others. No doubt more delivery options are closer than we think thanks to the mother of invention's ongoing captivity by the coronavirus.Since March, both Urban Agrarian markets and Guilford Gardens have upgraded online ordering options and added delivery options.But long before March, Local Farm OK was planning to expand its farm-to-table grocery service from Tulsa. Owners...

Farm-to-front-door options grow as Local Farm OK dials in 405 service

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