Loudoun’s New Online Farm Marketplace Adds Two Pick-Up Locations

MAY 7 , 2020—The Loudoun Made Loudoun Grown Marketplace, an online marketplace connecting consumers with local products and open to all Loudoun farms and rural businesses, has added two convenient pick-up locations in Lansdowne and Sterling.

The Marketplace was launched in mid-April to address a growing need in the community. It is an  e-commerce platform available, for free, to any farmer or rural producer that’s part of the Loudoun Made, Loudoun Grown program. Payouts are made immediately from the customer to the business owner.

“At a time of global supply chain interruptions and product scarcity, we want Loudouners to know they have a reliable source of food that’s right down the road,” Loudoun Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer explained. “One of the goals of the Loudoun Made Loudoun Grown Marketplace was to increase the availability of products from western Loudoun to our population centers in eastern Loudoun, and this is an important step in that direction.

“When it comes straight from Loudoun farms to your family, the food doesn’t get much fresher than that. Shopping in a socially distant way promotes safety for all, while supporting our #LoudounPossible businesses.”

Loudoun County is home to more than 1,200 farms, which are home to thousands of rural businesses. More than 200 of those businesses are part of the Loudoun Made, Loudoun Grown marketing program, which helps highlight consumer access to the rural economy.

As of now, 29 vendors are selling more than 400 products through the Marketplace, and more than 70 customers have signed up to browse the selections and make orders. Not all vendors choose to participate in each method of pick-up and delivery, so please read carefully to see which vendors are available.

National Conference Center: Lansdowne, Fridays from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

The National Conference Center will be adding the Loudoun Made Loudoun Grown Marketplace starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 8, as part of its weekly offerings in The National Drive-Thru Market. The Drive-Thru Market started last week with more than 300 buyers, demonstrating the interest in shopping local.

Part of the program’s appeal is that the National Conference Center does not take a cut of the revenue generated by the businesses selling on site. Instead, they simply asked for food donations, which are then distributed to workers who have been furloughed during COVID-19.

“The National Drive-Thru Market was conceived because we wanted to offer our vendors a platform to sell safely and directly to the community during this time with drastically reduced restaurant sales,” the National’s Food and Beverage Director Todd Goldian said. “Because of the success of the program, each of the vendors has contributed generously towards our employee food drive for the furloughed workers of The National.

“Our vendors, the community, and our staff have benefited from this program.  The addition of the Loudoun Made Loudoun Grown Marketplace to our drive thru market will only add further value to the consumers that attend and will also benefit the business community of Loudoun that sell through the Loudoun Made Loudoun Grown Marketplace.”

To access the National’s pick-up location, please make your purchase for the week no later than 48 hours in advance and choose the National as your pick-up location. When you arrive, drive up to the front of the building and you will be guided in the proper direction to reach the Marketplace vendor location.

There are 11 Loudoun Made Loudoun Grown Marketplace vendors currently participating in this pick-up location: 868 Estate Vineyards, Blackwater Beef, Blue Mojo Farm, Casanel Vineyard, Endless Summer Harvest, Hillsborough Winery and Brewery, Hope Flower Farm, Kathy Ann’s Farm, Kochany Wellness, Solitude Wool, and Zephania Farm Vineyard.

For more information and delivery options, please visit LoudounFarms.org/Marketplace.