MILWAUKEE — Imagine having access to over 50 local food vendors every week from your phone or computer — anything from organic produce and mushrooms to bakery-fresh bread and pickled vegetables arriving at your doorstop in a reusable canvas bag.
Milwaukee Farmers United (MFU) brings the farmers market to the customer. Shannon Dunne and her partner Patrick founded the online market five years ago, and it now serves the greater Milwaukee area all year long.
“Our big picture goal was to unite Milwaukee farmers and make it really accessible for people to purchase produce and items from farms,” Shannon Dunne told WTMJ.
MFU’s catalogue of fresh produce changes on a weekly basis — just like the Wisconsin growing season. Other items like coffee, butter, eggs and mushrooms remain mostly consistent. MFU offers over 200 products year-round and up to 300 during the peak growing season.
“The really beautiful benefit is our farmers that we work with harvest the food just a day or two before they bring it to us, and then we deliver it to our customers a day or two after,” said Dunne.
The model for Milwaukee Farmers United differs from community-supported agriculture. In a CSA, customers typically purchase a “share” of the farm and receive a different assortment of produce every week. MFU is not a subscription service and allows customers to choose the exact contents and frequency of their order.
“You order what you want, when you want,” said Dunne. “There’s no commitment.”
Milwaukee Farmers United deliveries come with a $5 delivery fee and a minimum order amount that varies depending on how far you live from Milwaukee. For no fee, some customers use the local pickup option at one of five participating businesses.
One of those pickup locations in Cream City Soap Company in Wauwatosa. MFU customer Ann Hanrahan picks up her orders there — she told WTMJ she enjoys the partnerships with local businesses and the convenience of planning her shopping.
“Sometimes when you go to the [in-person] farmers market, a lot of the vendors are already sold out or some of the best produce is picked over,” said Hanrahan. “This is a way to guarantee that you’re getting what you want or plan ahead.”
Farmers and makers also reap the benefits of Milwaukee Farmers United. Vegetable Production Manager Lyz Lyon at Gwenyn Hill Farm in Waukesha told WTMJ that MFU helps them reach more customers.
“As a farm, we’re really busy growing all the vegetables; that’s a full-time job in itself,” said Lyon. “They provide that really great support and infrastructure to help get the produce we’re growing to more people.”
This summer, MFU is celebrating its five-year anniversary of working towards a shared goal between the farmer, the customer and the middleman: fresh, local food for all.
