NOCO Virtual Farmers Market offers producers, customers a new way to connect
NOCO Virtual Farmers Market brings together northern Colorado producers and consumers. Photo by Kelly Ragan.
By Kelly Ragan
As winter farmers markets across northern Colorado shut down, Alexa Vasquez began to worry about what spring and summer would look like. She wondered how she would make a living since she relies on those markets to sell her products.
Vasquez, of Fort Collins, soon realized other vendors were worried, too.
“I saw a Facebook post from another vendor friend of mine when things started shutting down who was like, ‘Oh my God, what do we do?’” Vasquez said in an interview with the NoCo Optimist. “I responded and was like, ‘I have this idea.’”
On March 17, Vasquez created a Facebook page called NOCO Virtual Farmers Market.
She wanted to digitally connect vendors with people who want to buy locally made products – just like a typical farmers market.
Vasquez opened up the page to the public on a Wednesday night. By Thursday, the orders started rolling in.
Alexa Vasquez delivers orders for the NOCO Virtual Farmers Market. Photo courtesy of Alexa Vasquez.
“We had 10 orders that weekend,” she said. “I delivered them with my kids in the car and was just like woohoo, people are interested in this!”
Then it started to really take off.
That next weekend, the Facebook page had more than 1,000 members, Vasquez said, and they filled about 100 orders.
People paid with Venmo, and Vasquez spent her days typing orders into a spreadsheet to keep it all straight.
As of Wednesday, the Facebook group had more than 8,200 members with 55 vendors listed dedicated to produce, meat products, jams, honey, pasta, homemade crafts, soaps, sanitizers and more.
“We really want to encourage people to continue to stay home, be safe, slow the spread of the virus and continue to support local producers and farmers,” Vasquez said, “especially when their livelihoods – our livelihoods – just stopped.”
Though the whole thing started in response to COVID, Vasquez said she’s working to make the NOCO Virtual Farmers Market permanent and sustainable.
The NOCO Virtual Farmers Market now has a website and a streamlined ordering system. That means fewer late nights in front of a spreadsheet for Vasquez and a more convenient, organized process for customers.
Vasquez said she knows the format won’t work for every vendor or customer, but so far she’s heard encouraging feedback.
“People were really freaking out about the supply chain when (COVID) first started,” Vasquez said. “I think that’s why everyone flocked to the stores. The NOCO Virtual Farmers Market came in at the right time – there’s a new supply chain.”
How does it work?
To order or to register as a vendor, go to https://nocovirtualfarmersmarket.com/.
For a delivery on Saturdays, order between 9 a.m. Monday through noon Wednesday.
Drivers will deliver your orders every Saturday between noon and 4 p.m., according to the website.
Drivers deliver products to several northern Colorado cities with varying delivery fees depending on your location.
Fort Collins: $5
Loveland: $7
Wellington: $7
Windsor: $7
Laporte: $7
Bellvue: $7
Timnath: $7
Greeley: $10
Johnstown: $10
You can also pick up orders from 1-3 p.m. on Saturdays at 123 N. College Ave., Suite 130 in Fort Collins for a $3 fee.