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FarmConnect—Matchmaking in Farming Country
2007-11-04
Lynn Brekke is one of an increasing number of farmers who are raising organically-grown soybeans for specialized markets. He is a member of FarmConnect—an alliance of 730 progressive crop and livestock producers in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Illinois. Together, FarmConnect members manage hundreds of thousands of acres of North America’s most productive farmland. FarmConnect links producers willing to grow certain crops in a certain way (e.g. GMO-free or organic) to customers who are looking for a specific type, quality and volume of product.
FarmConnect members understand that they need to shift away from their traditional role as producers of undifferentiated bulk commodities, and work to become suppliers of specific “identity-preserved” products. This matchmaking venture allows producers to identify and take advantage of changing market opportunities and gives customers a convenient way to identify farmers who can produce for what the market wants. (http://www.farmconnect.com)
