Humor us while we state the obvious: farming is hard. The hours are long, the days are short, and the margins are slim. But one thing that’s even harder than farming is starting your own farm. Unless you were born into it, for many young, aspiring farmers, starting their own farm is a pipe dream. Land is expensive (and hard to come by). Equipment is expensive. Seeds are expensive. Fencing is expensive. Everything is so expensive! The barrier to entry is high.
At Local Line, we try to help both current and aspiring farmers on their journey toward farming profitably. Our features are built to help current farmers grow their businesses, but we intentionally offer a “Starter” pricing plan to help new farmers get their businesses off the ground.
When we met the team at Freight Farms, it quickly became clear that we shared the same mission of growing the local food system, but we had both chosen different ways to contribute to that future.
Freight Farms is the leading (shipping) container farm company, providing current and aspiring farmers with a suite of hardware and software that allows them to grow fresh, local produce and microgreens in areas where food access is limited or the climate makes traditional farming difficult. Think of it as a “farm-in-a-box!” Interestingly, Freight Farms actually has the largest network of container farms in the world, over 650 units sold in over 40 countries in a variety of industries including farming, hospitality, retail, education, and non-profit.
So how does our partnership with Freight Farms work? First, if you’re an aspiring farmer, you can now use Freight Farms and Local Line together to start your own profitable business for a fraction of the cost of starting a traditional soil farm. New farmers that purchase a Freight Farm to start their business will receive discounts on their Local Line subscription, and will also receive discounts on website setup and marketing services. Essentially, both Local Line and Freight Farms will work with you as affordably as possible to launch your farm business.
If you’re a current farm that’s looking to expand, you may be running up against the same challenges as an aspiring farmer (finding land, buying equipment, etc). A Freight Farm unit can be installed on your existing property, and in as little as 8 weeks you can add new inventory to your Local Line storefront. Using Local Line’s email marketing features you can announce your new expansion to your customers, and you can even accept pre-orders while your new produce and microgreens grow in your container.
In summary, if you own a Freight Farms unit and need an all-in-one sales platform, Local Line is the right fit for you! And if you’re a Local Line user and want to extend your season, or expand your product offerings, a Freight Farms unit is a great option.
In the near future, Local Line and Freight Farms will be co-hosting webinars together to share more info about the partnership and how it works.
Learn more about Local Line or Freight Farms.
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