Project: Online Farmers Market
Introduction
The Wonderful Walton Economic Development Alliance, in partnership with local producers and community leaders, is evaluating the potential for creating an online farmers market to serve Walton County and its surrounding areas. This initiative builds on a 2025 field visit to the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance in the Tallahassee region, which operates a successful model of a digital marketplace for local farm goods. With the enthusiastic support of producers who joined the visit and our organization’s Chairman Danny Glidewell, we are now moving forward to explore how this concept can be adapted and implemented in our community.
From Left to Right: Red Hills Online Market Staff, Former Executive Director Uriah Matthews, District 2 Commissioner Danny Glidewell, Sommer Adams, Heather Marshall, Dave Underwood.
What Is a traveling Farmers Market?
An online farmers market is a centralized, digital platform where local producers list available goods—such as fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, baked goods, plants, and more—each week for customers to purchase. Customers place orders through the website, and these are then packed and distributed through a combination of pickup sites and/or home delivery options.
This model serves as a modern solution for connecting producers with consumers in a way that supports local agriculture, increases access to fresh food, and fosters community collaboration.
You can read more directly from a local farmer attendee, Sommer Adams of Frost Lane Farms on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1P3DFtR5qg/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Vision for Walton County
The vision for Walton County’s version of an online farmers market is rooted in collaboration and accessibility. By encouraging cooperation among producers, the goal is to:
Support both large and small producers, including home bakers, gardeners, and livestock farmers
Provide consistent and convenient access to local food for residents year-round—not just on weekends
Create economic opportunities for local agricultural and food entrepreneurs
Encourage community resilience and food security
Importantly, this initiative does not intend to replace in-person farmers markets, but rather to supplement them and expand opportunities for both producers and customers.
Updates
February 2026 – Major Milestone Reached: Online System Refined, Operations Manual Drafted, Full Dry Run Set for March 4
The Producer-Led Steering Committee working to launch Walton County’s Online Farmers Market and supporting distribution ecosystem has reached a major milestone. The core online system has been developed and refined to support the full end-to-end concept—connecting consumers with local farms, helping producers share weekly availability, recruiting hubs for pickup, and coordinating delivery from farms to hubs and homes.
The concept and system were recently showcased at Rural County Day outside the Florida State Capitol, where the initiative received strong positive support and encouraging feedback.
What’s Been Accomplished
Over the past several weeks, the Steering Committee has made meaningful progress:
Online market system refined to support producer listings, customer ordering, hub pickup coordination, and delivery workflows
Hub recruitment framework established to support pickup sites across the county as the initiative grows
Delivery model progressing to connect farms → hubs → homes through a practical, scalable structure
Operations Manual drafted to guide consistent, repeatable execution as the initiative moves from design to launch
Food Safety & Compliance Review Underway
To ensure a strong and compliant launch, the UF/IFAS Extension Office is reviewing the Operations Manual for food safety standards, regulatory requirements, and any mandatory operating practices that must be incorporated into the system.
Next Major Step: Full “Dry Run” on March 4
The Steering Committee has scheduled a comprehensive dry run for March 4, 2026. This test will simulate the full workflow—from producer availability and ordering to packing, hub coordination, and delivery execution. This readiness milestone is a key step toward a successful pilot launch.
Farm Outreach Underway
Outreach is actively taking place with farms across Walton County and the surrounding area to:
Share an overview of how the system works
Explain participation expectations and available support resources
Invite producers to participate in the pilot phase
This remains a producer-driven effort, and early participation helps shape a system built for long-term success.
First Hub Confirmed: Register Farm Market (Freeport)
Register Farm Market in Freeport will serve as the first confirmed hub location, supporting the initial rollout and ecosystem test focused on Freeport and Hammock Bay. As the system expands, additional hubs will be recruited across the county to improve access and convenience.
Looking Ahead
The near-term focus is on completing the March 4 dry run, incorporating UF/IFAS feedback into the Operations Manual, and finalizing pilot readiness. As operations mature, exploration will begin for a centralized delivery and distribution point with commercial kitchen capacity to support long-term growth.
How to Get Involved
If you are a farm or food producer, a potential hub partner, a community member interested in supporting delivery, or someone who would like to participate in the pilot—now is the time to get involved.
Questions or want to participate?
Dave Underwood, Wonderful Walton EDA
📧 dave@wonderfulwalton.com
January 2026 – Online Farmers Market Store & Ecosystem Design Nearing Completion; Organizational Structure Decision Ahead
Over the holiday period, the Producer-Led Steering Committee made strong progress toward launching Walton County’s Online Farmers Market and the supporting farm-to-table hub network.
We are now in the final stages of designing the online store—a system built to support real-time product availability, online purchasing, pickup/delivery coordination, and farm-tour promotion. The design also includes recruitment pathways for hubs and delivery drivers, along with a barter/support feature to encourage collaboration between participating farms and producers.
What’s Happening Now
The Steering Committee is completing the first full design sprint for:
The Online Farmers Market storefront (products, listings, ordering flow, producer profiles)
Hub and delivery framework (pickup locations, routes, driver onboarding concepts)
Farm-tour integration (connecting consumers to local farm experiences)
Participation guidance for producers, hubs, drivers, and customers—embedded into the overall “ecosystem” design
The Big Decision Ahead
The next major decision is foundational: determining the organization name, legal structure, and operating model for launch and long-term growth.
Key decisions in the next phase include:
Organization type (cooperative vs. nonprofit model and related operating framework)
Membership/onboarding standards for producers and partners
Finalizing vendor participation expectations and customer experience standards
What Comes Next
The Steering Committee has set an ambitious goal of launching a beta test in early spring 2026 with:
A limited producer group
Select hubs
An initial delivery framework
Near-term deliverables include:
Draft operating structure and participation model
Initial onboarding and standards package (producers, hubs, drivers)
Beta test plan (scope, schedule, readiness checklist)
First launch communications plan (recruitment + customer list-building)
How to Get Involved
If you are a producer, hub partner, delivery driver, or interested early customer—now is the time to raise your hand. This system is being built for long-term success, and early participation helps shape its foundation.
📩 Questions or want to participate?
Contact: Dave Underwood, Wonderful Walton EDA
📧 dave@wonderfulwalton.com
December 2025 – Steering Committee Launched to Design Walton’s Online Farmers Market
The Wonderful Walton Economic Development Alliance has officially launched the Producer-Led Steering Committee that will guide the development of Walton County’s first Online Farmers Market and supporting farm-to-table hub network. This milestone marks a key step forward in our efforts to build a modern, producer-driven local food system.
Over the past several months, local farmers, cottage food producers, and consumers have provided valuable input through surveys, community meetings, and direct outreach. Thanks to that strong engagement, we are now moving into the design phase.
What’s Happening Now
The newly formed Steering Committee is working to shape the structure of:
The Wonderful Online Farmers Market
A network of regional pickup and delivery hubs
A coordinated farm-tour program supporting ecotourism
The future agricultural marketing cooperative
This group will lead development of vendor standards, membership models, distribution strategies, and the first draft business plan for the market.
Steering Committee: Purpose & Makeup
Purpose:
To design the operational framework of the market—including cooperative structure, online system management, vendor eligibility, and delivery coordination.
Who We’re Seeking:
A mix of local producers (small to large, across all product types) and community members who regularly purchase local food and want to contribute to a stronger regional food system.
Commitment (short-term):
1–2 focused meetings each week
Light review of draft materials between meetings
Support the development of the cooperative framework by December 31, 2025
Why Your Participation Matters
Every producer and customer who engages helps shape a reliable, year-round local food marketplace. We’ve already surpassed 150 customer survey responses, with a next goal of 1,000+, a key milestone for ensuring sustainability and attracting producer participation.
How to Participate
👉 Apply to Join the Steering Committee
Tell us you're interested and share a few basics about your operation.
👉 Join the Producer List
Stay informed with updates and future working group opportunities.
What Comes Next
Near-term deliverables:
Draft business plan
Draft bylaws and cooperative operating guidelines
Online market schedule and distribution model
Pickup and delivery framework
Onboarding and participation standards for producers
Public update:
We’ll share the initial market framework once the committee completes its first sprint.
Questions?
📩 Contact: Dave Underwood, Wonderful Walton EDA
📧 dave@wonderfulwalton.com
October 2025 - Forming a Producer-Led Steering Committee
In July 2025, the Wonderful Walton Economic Development Alliance met with local farmers and consumers to gauge interest in three complementary efforts:
A marketing cooperative
A centralized online farmers market
A distribution system that supports reliable, areawide access
What’s Happening Now
We’re re-establishing direct communication with everyone who participated in the July meeting and inviting additional producers to get involved.
Our next step is to form a producer steering committee to define the path forward — with the goal of formally establishing the cooperative’s organizational framework by December 31, 2025.
Steering Committee: Purpose & Makeup
Purpose:
The committee will draft the initial mission, membership model, vendor standards, online market operations, and distribution approach.
Who We’re Seeking:
A representative mix of producers by size, product type, and geography — including growers, ranchers, value-added makers, and home-based cottage food businesses.
Commitment (short-term):
2–3 focused meetings over the next 6 weeks
Virtual or in-person (~60 minutes each)
Light review of draft documents between meetings
Timeline:
Committee seated by end of October
Begin meetings immediately
Support cooperative formation by December 31, 2025
How to Participate
👉 Apply to Join the Steering Committee
Tell us you’re in and share a few basics about your operation.
👉 Join the Producer List
If you can’t serve right now, sign up for email updates and future working group opportunities.
What Comes Next
Near-term deliverables:
Draft business plan
Draft bylaws and operating guidelines
Preliminary pricing structure
Online market cadence
Pickup and delivery framework
Onboarding standards for participants
Public update:
We’ll post a progress report and the initial framework once the steering committee completes its first sprint.
Questions?
📩 Contact: Dave Underwood, Wonderful Walton EDA
📧 dave@wonderfulwalton.com
July 25th, 2025
We had a successful Community Meeting on July 22nd that was attending by over 40 members of the community. Presenters included Sommer Adams of Frost Lane Farms and from the Wonderful Walton Economic Development Alliance Dave Underwood and Uriah Matthews. The presentation included;
an overview of the WWEDA,
an explanation of our focus on agriculture as part of our strategic plan
why we focused on sales and customers
our study of Red Hills Online Market
the business model
next steps on the project
formation of a committee
continue to spread the word! Share this post!
encourage survey completion
We want to stress at this point survey completion is the single most important aspect of this project at this point. It serves a couple of purposes;
Gathers important feedback from producers AND consumers
Enters all interested parties into the communication stream
And most importantly build the potential customer list that will the key value of this program at launch
Thank you all for participating in this really great project! Let’s get to 1,000 surveys from consumers!
July 15th, 2025 - We’re holding a public meeting on Tuesday, July 22nd from 5:30–6:30 PM at the Hall of Brotherhood in DeFuniak Springs to share project updates and gather community feedback on the Wonderful Traveling Farmer’s Market.
RSVPs are required to attend.
Learn more and reserve your spot here:
👉 Read the Public Meeting Announcement