Bring the Farm Stop model to your community!
The Farm Stop model has transformed many communities' access to local food. Over the past nine years, Argus Farm Stop has grown to three locations in Ann Arbor, with an online business and a weekly produce box. We have returned over $20 million directly back to Michigan local farms and food producers. With high interest across the US and Canada, we are excited to be developing ways to share our knowledge and connect with other local food advocates! We need innovative models to connect consumers to locally farmed goods!
The Farm Stop Conference: Building Strong Retail Systems for Local Farmers and Local Food
Was held March 1-3, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
In early March we hosted a wonderful gathering of farm stop operators, folks who are working to open one, influencers and public policy experts to talk about how connecting small farmers with consumers needs more retail models!
The conference was the first of its kind, was sold out, and was a great opportunity for all participants to network and exchange ideas. Senator Debbie Stabenow, USDA Under Secretary Jennifer Lester Moffett, USDA’s Kate Fitzgerald and MDARD Director Dr. Tim Boring were some of the key speakers, along with farmers and Farm Stop Experts.
Welcome to Argus Farm Stop
1-hour webinar | free!
Join us for a fun 1 hour overview of the history of Argus Farm Stop, the Farm Stop business model, and the impact we’ve seen on the local food and farming community here in SE Michigan. We share the reasons that we started Argus, the facts about our agricultural ecosystem, and some of the impacts on our community.
Our webinars are typically offered on the last Tuesday of the month, here are the dates for the next few months:
Please note: the starting time is Eastern Standard Time!
The next webinars will be at the following times:
April 30, 1 PM
May 28, 10 AM
June 25, 1 PM
Click the button below to register for free!
How to Start a Farm Stop
3-day online course | $595 per seat
Interested in what it really takes to open a Farm Stop in your community? Spend three days learning from co-founders, Bill and Kathy, and our stellar team of store and produce managers! This course runs for 3 hour blocks for three days from 12 -3 pm EST.
Gain an in-depth understanding of why Farm Stops are needed, how to work with local producers, and what it really takes to fund, open, and operate one. We openly share our experiences and lessons learned to best help accelerate this model taking root in your community.
Please note: the starting time is Eastern Standard Time!
Special note: How To Start a Farm Stop is also available as a private 3-day course with just your team! Give a shout using the form below for more details.
Click the links below to register for one of our next course offerings!
Selling Local Food Online
2-hour online workshop | $125 per seat
Join our Online Operations Manager to learn how we manage a robust online marketplace for local food. We offer daily pick-up and delivery service, a weekly produce box, and seasonal special events. Get a detailed overview of these operations and important lessons learned when launching and managing online sales. Topics covered will include store layout, inventory management, staffing, customer service, and software.
If you’d like to be informed about the next time this workshop is offered, please fill out the contact form at the bottom of the page.
Private Consulting
Our hourly private consulting can take many forms and flavors, depending on your needs and where you are in the process of opening/operating a Farm Stop or similar business model. Work with our Training Manager to plan and schedule time with the appropriate Argus staff member(s). It could be a phone call, Zoom meeting, or in-person site visit. Some areas where we can help:
Staffing and store culture
Setting up your point-of-sales system
Local produce handling & merchandizing
Online sales of local food
Store design & layout
Questions? Ready to plan? Don’t quite see what you’re looking for? Please contact us to get the conversation started. Simply fill out this form or email [email protected].