Consumers feel disconnected from the local food system and want knowledge about the people and growing practices behind their food. In general, consumers do not have a clear conception of how food travels from farm to plate and, more specifically, they do not have a good grasp of seasonality and cooking techniques. As some consumers begin to eat seasonally, they struggle to cook unique vegetables that are unfamiliar to them and to find recipes that guide them towards seasonal dishes. Additionally, producers and retailers must go out of their way to sell less desirable seasonal produce or uncommon cuts of meat.

This disconnect among consumers stems from an overall lack of transparency within the food system. Without a sense of what is going on behind the scenes and under the ground, many consumers have little understanding of what producers do and the challenges they face. Additionally, clear links between producers and retailers are fairly uncommon since few retailers mention which farms their food comes from or provide any background information beyond the food itself. This lack of transparency and recognition leaves much to be desired from the consumers’ end and leads to producers feeling invisible and unappreciated.

Although many consumers want to know more about the story and especially the people behind their food, they often struggle to purchase food that reflects their values (e.g. supporting local economies, preserving the environment, ensuring the freshest quality, and staying healthy). This struggle is often due to a lack of appropriate metrics and quick, easy ways to access the desired information. Consumers want to feel good about what they buy but their perception of current metrics such as organic certification are fraught with skepticism as many feel that large corporations have co-opted the metric and diluted its meaning.

While producers mentioned political issues as key challenges faced in their line of work (e.g. unfair farm subsidies, strict laws around organic certification, etc.), very few consumers seemed to be aware such struggles. Consumers who would like to support their local food system must be aware of the broader issues facing producers, especially related to policy decisions. The more that people feel connected to and a part of the farms they are supporting, and the more they see themselves as participants rather than as mere consumers on the receiving end, the more likely they are to take a vested interest in these broader issues.

There needs to be more communication among producers and between producers and retailers:

Since farming has its own unique challenges—both physical and financial—producer-to-producer communication is especially important and often very beneficial for exchanging ideas and advice, sharing resources (e.g. equipment or industrialized kitchens), and taking action as a group (e.g. increasing purchasing power or creating a new farmers market). Some of this communication currently happens via phone, fax, or email, but many producers would benefit from a centralized space that encouraged more communication, especially regarding issues like mapping routes in order to facilitate shared distribution efforts (e.g. one farmer could deliver his produce to a restaurant in another farmer’s truck) and helping new producers who lack experiential, location-specific knowledge that comes easily to their more seasoned counterparts.

Currently retailers who source local ingredients have to spend a significant amount of time and effort interfacing with numerous local producers who have differing preferences and availabilities. Although establishing these personal connections is enjoyable for most retailers, the everyday logistics of ordering are often overwhelming. More efficient communications channels would allow retailers to spend more time on the aspects of these relationships that they enjoy and less time managing bureaucratic details.