Niche marketing to nearby customers is a practical outlet for thousands of smaller-scale farmers. In northwestern Colorado, yarn is being woven into the fabric of local entrepreneurship, says Harvest Public Media. It’s a longtime sheep-producing region. Meeker hosts an annual sheepdog competition and Craig holds a Sheep Wagon festival annually. Lorrae and Lewis Moon opened their Yampa Valley Fiberworks in Craig in 2103, where they wash and process small batches of fleece into fine yarns. Besides sheep fleece, they’ve worked with buffalo and alpaca fleece. Harvest Public Media says “neighboring communities have been a driving force behind the business’ early success.”
At Civil Eats, Marie Lawrence describes a San Diego version of “speeding dating for farmers and institutions” interested in buying local food for their kitchens. “Nationally, an estimated 44 percent of school districts are participating in farm to school programs. In California, that number climbs to 56 percent.”