Local food is all the rage. Consumers are looking more and more for products from local farms. With the new web portal www.service-vom-hof.de, developed by the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture, interested consumers can quickly check online the nearby farms. The website was presented to the public in the presence of Minister of Agriculture, Christian Meyer on the Wedeking farm in Lüdersfeld (district Schaumburg) on 22 May.
At the fruit farm of Christopher and Mary Wedeking Agriculture Minister Christian Meyer and Chamber President Gerhard Schwetje (from left to right) presented the new website www.service-vom-hof.de. © Walter Hollweg
"Consumers and farmers both profit from the new website," said Chamber President Gerhard Schwetje at the press conference on the Wedeking farm. Consumers can quickly find the nearest regional suppliers of agricultural products and services, and the farmers gets the opportunity to draw attention to their produce. "With the new site we want the consumer to experience the Lower Saxony agriculture and let them learn about and enjoy the wide range," said Schwetje. At the same time the best publicity for agriculture is publicity that promotes the producer-consumer dialogue.
The new website was developed with financial support from the State of Lower Saxony. "Our shared goal must be to promote the regional agriculture. This works best by creating new markets for the sale of local products- both organic farming as well as conventional agriculture," said the Minister of Agriculture. "An effective way in our increasingly digital world is a successful, professional presence online," states Meyer. This web portal meets these demands and this was the reason for the financial commitment of the department. It is a "great opportunity for all farms with direct sales, bistros, beer gardens or other agricultural related services, to advertise their strengths and attract new customers."
Interested customers and guests can go to www.service-vom-hof.de and with a few clicks find the farmers in their region. Currently around 400 farms participate.