In Wayne County, supporting local agriculture can be as simple as picking up groceries from a locker.
AgroLegacy, a regional agricultural branding and marketing initiative, is working to connect consumers directly with local farmers, food producers and restaurants while keeping food dollars circulating close to home.
“For those hearing about AgroLegacy for the first time, it is a brand that helps support our local farmers and eaters so that they can help promote their products to a broader market,” said Zach Jones, sustainable agricultural specialist with the Wayne Conservation District.
The program includes farms, food processors and restaurants that produce agricultural products within Wayne County. Products carrying the AgroLegacy label come with a local guarantee.
“If something is labeled AgroLegacy, it is grown and raised here in Wayne County,” Jones said. “We inspect our farms when they sign up, make sure that they’re doing the right things. We know our farmers.”
That local connection is a key part of the organization’s mission, particularly at a time when consumers face an array of food labels and marketing claims.
AgroLegacy’s website features an interactive map that allows shoppers to search for farms and products across the county.
“If you want to search for a farm or a product, you can type it into a search bar,” Jones explained. “It’ll show you what local farm has that product or where that farm is located and give you directions right to there.”
The effort is also designed to strengthen the local economy.
“One thing about farmers — we don’t really like to drive too far,” Jones said. “You spend money at a farm, we’re going to spend it right here close to home. And that dollar gets circulated around and around.”
Wayne County is home to farmers markets in Honesdale, Hawley and other communities where AgroLegacy producers sell their products. But one of the initiative’s newest innovations is aimed at making local food even more convenient.
AgroLegacy food lockers, located in Waymart, Hawley and Lake Ariel, function much like secure pickup lockers. Customers can order products from participating farms and retrieve them when it’s convenient.
“If you wanted to order from a local farmer, but maybe you didn’t have time to go out to the farm or if they were at the farmers market and you couldn’t make it, they can drop it off at that food locker and then you can pick it up within your own convenience,” Jones said.
Customers receive a text message and email containing a PIN and QR code. The lockers remain available for up to 48 hours.
“You punch in your code and it’ll unlock the door automatically and even highlight which door it is,” Jones said. “You open it up, close it, it locks automatically and it’s ready for the next person to use.”
The locker system grew out of an agricultural planning study completed in 2019 that identified parts of Wayne County with limited food access. The goal was to help residents obtain fresh local food while giving farmers new opportunities to reach customers.
“In those areas, we wanted to be able to provide food for people, but also an opportunity for farmers to expand their markets,” Jones said.
The concept reflects changing consumer habits, he added, comparing it to grocery pickup and delivery services that have become increasingly common.
“It’s not something that’s new,” Jones said. “A long time ago people used to get their milk delivered all the time. This is just kind of trying to be on that cutting edge of society.”
AgroLegacy leaders are already considering expanding the network if the pilot program proves successful.
The organization is also preparing for its AgroLegacy American Farm Tour, scheduled for June 30 and July 2, highlighting local farms as part of celebrations surrounding America’s 250th anniversary.
“It wouldn’t be America if we didn’t have some farms,” Jones said.
Image: An AgroLegacy food locker in Hawley, PA. (AgroLegacy)
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