MarketMaker Linking Agricultural Markets

It’s easier than ever for food producers to connect with buyers

MarketMaker, an easy-to-use web-based resource for all businesses in the food supply chain, has been launched in Ohio through the collaboration of Ohio State University Extension and OARDC, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), Ohio Farm Bureau, and the Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT).

MarketMaker is a national network of state websites connecting farmers and processors with food retailers, caterers, chefs, and other food supply chain contacts. The network has one of the most extensive collections of searchable food industry related data in the U.S. All told, more than 39,000 retail outlets, wholesalers, processors and specialty food stores are accessible via the site, with more being added all the time. Each state’s site allows users to query, map and locate data. Each site is open and accessible on a no-fee basis.

Here are a few of the highlights

* More than 1,000 people log onto Ohio MarketMaker each month.

* Since the program launched in mid-march, the Ohio site has received more than 400,000 hits.

* Nationally, MarketMaker has logged almost 4 million hits in 2008.

* There is a growing list of participating states: Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, and Ohio. Three new states’ sites include: Colorado, South Carolina and Washington DC.

* New technology is being released later this year to make the site even easier for buyers to locate and map sources for local food.

Be a part of the success in Ohio.

1. Every Ohio producer can have a free listing on this site. You can help more buyers find you by registering your business online, http://www.ohiomarketmaker.com.

2. You can also use the easy-to-use search tools to locate new markets and potential buyers.

3. Check out the case studies of how the site can be used for three different people. There are currently three examples on the website: A cattle farmer, an independent maker of jams and jellies and a chef in search of organic produce.

4. Visit the Buy & Sell Forum, where specific requests can be posted. A recent example: Iowa State University needs 300 pounds of sweet potatoes by the week of Nov. 3, delivered to Ames, Iowa.

“It answers all the questions you could have: How do I contact farmers, how do I buy locally, who do I contact?” said Mark Newton, associate director and executive chef for OSU Campus Dining Services. “I can type in ‘salsa’ and it brings up a list of vendors who have loaded their information into the system, like where they’re located, how they take payment and when their products are available.”

Julie Fox, marketing and tourism development specialist at the OSU South Centers, is the point person for the project and says the response from the food services industry has been astonishing. For further information, contact Julie Fox, 740-289-2071, ext. 225; fox.264@osu.edu .

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