COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — A Kent County woman has come up with a new way, to bring the farmers market to you.
For Terra Osman, gardening is a hobby.
"I love fresh seasonal Michigan food," says Osman.
Her TikTok account, full of gardening tips and local food sources, sits at more than 40,000 followers. So with the interest apparent, she came up with an idea for an app.
"Not everyone can get to a farmers market on a Saturday morning. It's just not possible," says Osman. "We are in northern Kent County, some of the best soil in the world for growing apples, growing fruit, and so we know those sources are out there."
An app to help make those sources easier to find.
It's called Farmish.
"It's like Craigslist for farmers and gardeners," describes Osman.
Users can create a free profile that stays up for seven days, advertising any locally sourced products they have for sale.
"Like backyard chicken eggs, produce, garden supplies, plants, trees, flowers," says Osman.
And others can easily identify what they want, then arrange a time and place to pick the items up. In its short time since launch, the app has already taken off.
"We had over 700 new users within the first 24 hours, no paid ads, no promotion or their advertising," says Osman. "Now we have users in 27 states for up to 2,500 users."
Osman is proud to keep that business here in the West Michigan.
"Especially with commercially grown food, the price is rising," says Osman. "It makes the most sense to buy locally and to keep all that money right in the community."
The Farmish app is free to download and use. You can find it right now in the Apple App Store. It's not in the Google Play Store just yet, but the Android version can still be downloaded right now from the Farmish website.
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