LIVONIA, Mich. – A new Metro Detroit grocery service is offering to deliver local produce to residents’ doorsteps the day after its ordered.
Produce at grocery stores can sometimes be more than a week old, and it’s possible many people have already touched it.
John Sitko and Brad Berry came up with the idea of Farmstop before people were afraid to go to grocery stores because of the coronavirus (COVID-19). They wanted to help farmers in the area make more of a profit.
“The farmer, on average, is getting about 30%,” Sitko said. “Through our model, the farmer can earn three times the amount.”
The idea is also designed to give residents a higher quality of food. The produce should last two to three weeks longer, the owners said.
Customers can go to Farmstop’s website, farmstop.co, and pick out food grown by farmers such as Lindsay Steele, who owns Garden Fort Farms in Brighton.
Customers can then do a curbside pickup at Farmstop’s Livonia location or have it delivered to their door a day or two after being picked from the farm.
“The nutrition is there,” Steele said. “The flavor is there.”
The Farmstops model became even more relevant after the pandemic hit. It lets customers avoid being in crowded supermarkets that could be dangerous.
“Our customers don’t have to worry about going into a store, how many people are touching (the food),” Sitko said.
At a time when having a strong immune system is so important, Steele said buying food that’s locally source could make a major difference.
“When you eat local, there’s a relationship there, especially at a time when people care about health,” Steele said.
The company just launched Wednesday. Click here to check out the service.