@article{Greco_Kolodinsky_Sitaker_Chase_Conner_Estrin_Smith_Van Soelen Kim_2020, place={Ithaca, NY, USA}, title={Farm Fresh Food Boxes: Relationships in Value Chain Partnerships}, volume={9}, url={https://foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/865}, DOI={10.5304/jafscd.2020.094.012}, abstractNote={<p>The Farm Fresh Food Box (F3B) project is a mar­ket innovation that aims to capitalize on successful characteristics of direct-to-consumer (DTC), values-based supply chains (VBSCs), and tradi­tional supply chains with the goals of expand­ing producer sales and improving rural food access. In the F3B model, farmers sell boxes of fresh pro­duce in rural retail outlets to bring food to custo­mers with limited access to locally grown foods. We present pilot findings on indicators of relation­ship quality, communication of embedded value, and food environment, and compare these with extant research to assess whether F3B behaves like a DTC, VBSC, a traditional supply chain, or some­thing else entirely. Unlike much of the previous value-chain research, this work places a unique emphasis on the importance of the <em>farmer-retailer</em> relationship. We merge existing knowledge of DTC strategies and barriers with those of VBSCs and traditional supply chains to understand better the process of expanding into new outlets and con­sumer populations. We find that while the F3B model reduces some resource constraints, it adds a layer of complexity that requires time and expertise to develop a quality relationship between producers and retailers. Additionally, it is apparent that the F3B model must be tailored to fit local contexts of farmers and retailers participating in F3B market innovations.</p>}, number={4}, journal={Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development}, author={Greco, Lauren and Kolodinsky, Jane and Sitaker, Marilyn and Chase, Lisa and Conner, David and Estrin, Hans and Smith, Diane and Van Soelen Kim, Julia}, year={2020}, month={Sep.}, pages={113–129} }