PIERRE, SD – It’s no secret that consumers are hungry for safe, healthy, sustainable, locally grown food. South Dakota’s small scale and urban producers are stepping up to the plate by learning how to improve their land, their environment, and their communities while producing nutritious food. Now the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition and its partners have launched a new website to help local producers and consumers find each other.
The South Dakota Fresh Connect website (www.sdfreshconnect.com) allows producers and farmers markets to create free accounts and public profiles to list their available products on a map. Consumers, restaurants, markets, and other organizations can also create free accounts to locate the nearest sources for the goods they need and directly contact the producers. Users can narrow their searches by location and specific products.
“South Dakota Fresh Connect is the ultimate platform for connecting South Dakota consumers with our local, farm-fresh produce,” said SDSHC Soil Health Technician Chris Goldade, who also owns and operates Flat Rock Farms near Westport, SD. “The detailed farm profile allows us to showcase our unique growing practices and the quality of our offerings. With free search capabilities, anyone can easily find our contact information and discover the freshest, healthiest food available. By using Fresh Connect, we can introduce new, exciting products to our local residents and support a thriving local food economy.”
The website will also list resources and educational opportunities to help small scale and urban farmers improve their soil, drought resilience, and operational sustainability.
SDSHC is able to provide the South Dakota Fresh Connect website with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service through the Intensifying Soil Health Knowledge and Implementation of Urban Agriculture Project.
To learn more about the website and create a free account, visit www.sdfreshconnect.com. To learn more about the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition and its mission to improve the state’s soils and communities, visit www.sdsoilhealthcoalition.org or contact the Coalition at sdsoilhealth@gmail.com or 605-280-4190.
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