The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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Discussion

November 19, 2009

Farmers Market going high tech

By Robert Barron, Staff Writer

This summer’s Enid Farmers Market was a resounding success, and some of its producers want to continue the effort through the winter months via the Internet.

John and Barbara Crain, of Wagon Creek Creamery of Helena, and Kris and John Gosney, of Cattle Tracks Organic Beef, are two vendors who helped organize the market.

Barbara Crain used a template designed by a Georgia man to design the Enid market’s Web site. From that Web site, www.enidarea.locallygrown.net, customers can select from among more than 100 products from beef to dairy items.

“We found out about it from some friends in Tulsa who are in the Tulsa-area markets,” Crain said.

She set up a virtual market for Enid, and the Crains are partnering with three other farmers. The Web site includes each farmer’s list of products and prices. They take orders for a specific delivery date, and each farmer drops off what has been ordered.

“We have dairy, beef and eggs, others have wheat, baked goods, even household items, a number of things people can get year-round,” he said.

The products are delivered to Continental Resources parking lot from 4:45-5:45 p.m. the second Thursday of the month, Crain said.

Kris Gosney, of Cattle Tracks, developed an e-mail list of customers during the Enid Farmers Market last summer and is working from that to develop the business’ customer base. She credited Crain with looking into the virtual market and getting it started.

Cattle Tracks produces wheat and beef products and can sell them year-round. Gosney said they sell mostly beef products, but some customers also are purchasing wheat to grind their own flour and make bread.

“We try to serve people who are health conscious, support Oklahoma agriculture and support Oklahoma food because they are concerned about food safety,” she said. “It is a better, healthier product. We can sell our product all year if we can get it to the marketplace and that’s what the virtual market tried to do.”

Other producers on the Web site are Foundations Farm, of Nash, and Rowdy Stickhorse/Wild Acres, of Covington.

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