ChopLocal connects farmers and consumers directly
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Livestock and poultry producers and consumers alike looking to connect with one another can do through a new online platform.
ChopLocal “is similar to Etsy because we’ve got that small business, handmade quality that has more of a personal connection to the products,” Katie Olthoff told Farms.com.
She’s a turkey farmer from near Stanhope, Iowa, a co-founder of ChopLocal and serves as its director of marketing and vendor relations.
Jared Achen, a turkey farmer from near Wayland, Iowa, is the other co-founder.
The farmer team launched ChopLocal in 2020 to help farmers market products during the pandemic.
Livestock and poultry producers were facing processing and demand challenges while consumers were looking for ways to purchase meat for their families.
ChopLocal helps producers and the public in multiple ways, Olthoff said.
“We wanted to make it easier for farmers and small businesses to help them grow their customer base, while also helping customers (who live) in areas that may be a little further away from their local butcher shop or farm,” she said.
People who visit ChopLocal can sort through different products and producers, compare prices, schedule pickups and deliveries and learn about family farms.
“With this marketplace you can trace your meat directly back to the farm or small business it came from,” Olthoff said.
Farmers who implement a variety of production methods can sign up to be vendors.
“We want the site to be open to anybody with any type of production practices, as long as their marketing is accurate, and they don’t disparage any other kind of practices,” said Olthoff.
Most of the vendors on the site are located within Iowa but ChopLocal has already been in contact with vendors from outside the state and is ready to expand, Olthoff said.
Any producer interested in joining ChopLocal and find preliminary information on the website.