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What is a online farmers market

A online farmers market differes from a farmers market with a wider diversity of product offerings, the sourcing and selling of products nationaly or worldwide (as opposed to local focus & physical location)[1] and offering a single point of sale versus a point of sale at each market stall.

History

The evolution of online farmers' markets has seen several notable developments:

  • Farmigo: Farmigo was an online platform connecting consumers directly with local farms in regions. (2009-2016)[2].
  • Market Wagon: Founded in 2016 in Indianapolis.
  • Rashtriya e Market Service (ReMS): Launched in India, ReMS introduced a Unified Market Platform (UMP) to integrate agricultural markets across Karnatak
  • The Farmers Lot: Founded in 2020 is the first (and only) online farmers market in Australia (and the world) that is multi-vendor and allows vendors to sell their products on a variety of other farming related marketplaces, from a single product listing.

Types

Sole Vendor verus Multipe Vendor farmers market

Online farmers markets are either sole vendor or multi vendor. A sole-vendor online marketplace varies from a multi-vendor marketplace in that a sole-vendor is more closely aligned with a shop with a clear owner who makes all product and business decisions and owns all the risk. In a multi-vendor marketplace each vendor is like a individual stall at the local market or fair, the vendor is making decisions and accepting risk for a group of products they have selected.

Product offering

A traditional "Farmers’ Market is defined as a predominantly fresh food market that operates regularly within a community at a focal public location that provides a suitable environment for farmers and specialty food producers to sell farm-origin and associated value-added specialty foods for human consumption and plant products directly to customers."(AFMS) Whilst some online farmers markets follow this definition others may also offer other farm produce such as grain & fodder, livestock.

Bluring the lines, on it's main site The Farmers Lot includes farming equipment, consumables and other farming needs but also offers traditional farmers market products in a multi-vendor enviornment. Does it still retain it's identiy as a farmers market or is it an agricultural maketplace?