Open doors, fresh food, from the land of family farmers directly into the hands of consumers. Directly, because in the activity known as harvest and pay, consumers get their hands dirty, or rather, in the soil. This is the proposal of family producers who opted for this market model, as another alternative for selling their products, combining marketing with rural tourism.
In harvest and pay, family farmers open the doors of their properties so that consumers can choose and harvest their own food. The practice is a different and fun way to buy fresh food and has already become the main means of marketing for the Ferrari Family, which attracts hundreds of people to harvest products from the organic garden, in Arroio do Meio, in Rio Grande do Sul (RS) .
Farmer Márcia Ferrari says she has been working with organic gardens for 14 years and, four years ago, decided to open the property and invest in harvest and pay. “Our goal is for people to know where their food comes from, especially children, who are used to only seeing it in the market. We also want to show people what organic production looks like. Organic gardening is a labor-intensive production, but it is worth it. Coming here, consumers see this up close”, he explains.
Marco Pavarino, general coordinator of Agroecology and Sustainable Production, highlights that organic production demands greater attention from farmers and this needs to be recognized, whether adding value or in activities such as rural tourism. “It's cool to see this opposite movement, to see people leave the city, not only to choose their products, but also to learn about this sustainable form of production. In this type of initiative, consumers have greater contact with this production system and end up valuing this form of production more”, explains Pavarino.
Tourism
Harvest and pay is responsible for selling 90% of products from the family garden, which received more than 2 thousand people last year. The expectation is that this year the property will reach 3 thousand visitors. Márcia also says that she focuses mainly on the holiday period, however, educational visits, with schools and universities, are also highlighted at the property.
According to the farmer, after starting the harvest and pay activity, sales increased and, consequently, responsibilities. “We have customer service and are committed to always having someone at home to sell,” he says. She highlights the satisfaction of seeing recognition for her work and says that she makes a point of enabling the consumer to be involved in the entire process. “They have the experience of choosing, harvesting, caring for and washing food”, he reveals.
From the beginning of the project, Márcia received technical assistance support, in addition to financial incentives with resources from the National Program for Strengthening Family Agriculture (Pronaf). “If we are going to produce food to offer to other people, I will offer what I want for myself. We always produce organically, even to take care of our work environment.”
Source: Agrolink
