Organization: Iwantlocalfood.com

Summary:

Iwantlocalfood.com is a web based market, supplying fresh produce and locally made foods throughout Memphis
including markets, cafes, and institutions.

Iwantlocalfood.com is a market using a web based store front, local warehouse, and distribution spokes including Memphis small businesses and churches. We are supplying improved nutrition to areas lacking easily accessible food products. We are supplying fresher products to restaurants, markets, customers, and institutions. We help keep money in the local economy, and support local and regional farmer and food producers. Reducing logistics, carbon footprints, increasing nutritional value, and improving tastes are all side benefits of our business.

It is very important that Iwantlocalfood.com is part of a social enterprise. It is not enough to simply sell fresh local products to the area; we must become part of the neighboring experience. We will work with schools, churches, community centers, anyone that wants to be involved and improve their surroundings. We are all familiar with the saying “Buy a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” This is a crucial part of our success.

Improving an area by improving the sense of community is a fundamental building block of civilization. Thousands of years ago people gathered in numbers for safety and security. Sharing the prosperity of the community for the mutual benefit of all has always been the best way to improve our lives.

Part of our business model will be to utilize the people and resources we serve. We are going to have our products delivered to “spoke areas.” At these locations we will employee assistants or students after school where needed to ensure proper distribution of ordered products. Another key factor is ensuring that our customers understand how to use their products. To this end recipe ideas will be included in all baskets purchased. Fresh eggplant may grow in abundance but it does no one any good if they don’t know its many uses.

Returning to the sense of community, we will collect recipes from local businesses, restaurants, and individuals using our service for distribution and eventually community cookbooks. We intend to add a scholarship for students that work with us. This will help the student, our business, the community where they live, and the city as a whole.