Business Opportunities Weblog

October 21, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

In a world wrapped up in complex supply chains, small farmers are in a catch-22: sell to the supermarkets and get less cash for your carrots, or spend a lot more time and effort trying to sell directly to customers.

Consumers, meanwhile, are torn between loyalty to local businesses and the convenience of those established supply chains.

Trendspotter Springwise reports that a German farm, Peter-und-Paul-Hof, has found a solution in the form of… vending machines. The result of a collaboration between the farm and vending manufacturer Stuewer
, the specially designed machines currently sell fresh milk, eggs, butter, cheese, potatoes and sausage in thirteen German towns and communities.

Initially, Peter-und-Paul-Hof were operating a service delivering milk to their customers. Finding this too time-consuming, they began encouraging customers to collect the milk from fridges on their farm, which proved successful and inspired them to use vending machines as a more versatile solution.

The machines can be placed outdoors 365 days a year as long as they’re under a roof (some have even been placed alongside hiking trails in Switzerland), effectively giving locals a 24-hour farmers’ market and farmers a lot more free time.

By cutting out the middleman, this system also offers potential savings over retail stores.

Photo by Stuewer.

In Farming, Food, Vending | 3 Comments