Free Online Marketing for Irene-Impacted Businesses

Press Release
November 17, 2011

For Immediate Distribution



FarmPlate.com Offers One Year of Free Online Marketing to Irene-Impacted Businesses
New online sustainable food community is giving away premium online profiles to help spur the recovery of local food businesses

Even before Irene swept through the Northeast and left unprecedented flooding and damage in her wake, it was challenging for small businesses to market themselves online. Now, to help local food systems continue to recover from the recent floods, FarmPlate.com is offering one year of free online marketing to farmers, food and drink artisans, restaurants and other food enterprises impacted by the storm.

“FarmPlate’s mission is to help sustainable food businesses expand their markets. They are the engine of local food systems, and we are committed to contributing to their health in any way we can, especially after the devastation they experienced from Irene,” says Kim Werner, founder and president of FarmPlate.com.

More and more food producers are recognizing the power of technology to help them connect with their customers. “People need to connect with the earth and their food more, and those of us who grow and produce it need to meet the people where they are – online. Photos, stories, videos – this is what gets them interested in tasting what we have to offer,” says Karen Fairbairn from Lazy Crazy Acres Farm & Creamery in Arkville, New York, a farm that lost all of its milk and ice cream inventory in the Irene-related flooding, along with their animal feed.

FarmPlate (www.farmplate.com) is a new community resource whose mission is to expand the local, sustainable food marketplace by helping consumers find sustainable foods through searchable business listings. Upgraded FarmPlate profiles, which normally cost $195/year, are an easy, affordable way for farmers, food and drink artisans, restaurants, markets and other food enterprises to promote their businesses to FarmPlate’s highly targeted consumer audience. FarmPlate.com enables businesses to tell their own story, while driving traffic to both their websites and their physical locations.

How do businesses claim their upgraded profile? First, register on FarmPlate.com. Then, contact Kaitlin Haskins at khaskins@farmplate.com by December 31, 2011.

Media Contact: Jeff Gangemi
jgangemi@farmplate.com
607.229.4144 (cell)
603.643.7400 (office)