NEWS RELEASE
Nov. 15, 2012
Contact:
Janice St. Onge, President
VSJF Flexible Capital Fund, L3C
(802) 828-0398
Janice@vsjf.org
Montpelier, Vt. – The VSJF Flexible Capital Fund (the “Flex Fund”) is pleased to announce our most recent investment in Farmers to You LLC (FTY), a web-based direct marketer and distributor of Vermont produced craft and artisanal food to Boston area families. FTY connects over 30 Vermont farmers with over 375 Boston-area families through weekly deliveries of food ordered through the FTY website. FTY handles marketing, aggregation, and customer service so that farmers can focus on what they do best—growing quality food using sustainable, organic methods. FTY arranges pick-up, delivery and payment so that families can focus on what they need most— time to share healthy, local, quality food with each other.
The Flex Fund’s investment will be used to support FTY’s expansion and relocation to a new, larger hub facility, the purchase of additional equipment, addition of key staff, and the streamlining of their website and ordering system.
“The Flex Fund is designed to help Vermont companies expand into new markets, reach new customers, and diversify their products,” said the Flex Fund’s President Janice St. Onge. “Farmers to You is an ideal investment for us. Through their direct purchases from Vermont farmers, FTY plays a critical role in helping these farmers scale up and gain access to regional, urban markets that they might not otherwise have.” St. Onge noted that since their launch in 2010, FTY has added $500,000 of new revenue to their partner farmers and they project adding another $500,000 in the next year. “As a mission based fund,” St. Onge added, “our investment in companies like FTY, helps preserve Vermont’s working landscape while building a stronger network of locally grown, healthy food for the region.” In purchasing from Vermont farmers and value-added food producers, FTY is helping keep an estimated 4200 farm acres in production in Vermont.
“We are very happy to have found a partner in the VSJF Flexible Capital Fund.” said Greg Georgaklis, Founder and Owner, Farmers to You. “Seeking outside funding was a delicate process as our business model doesn’t fit well with a traditional debt or equity funding. The Flex Fund’s unique structure works for growing food businesses like ours that are concerned with the triple bottom line of profits, people, and the planet. Partnering with the Flex Fund allows us to build our infrastructure at a key time. With these investments, we will better serve our partners, Vermont farmers and families in the Boston area, and continue to strengthen our local food system.” Georgaklis adds, “By becoming a funder, the Flex Fund is showing their commitment to supporting new and innovative models that place Vermont at the forefront of a national push toward local, sustainable, and trustworthy food.”
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