Durham, North Carolina | Science and Technology
The Farmery is an urban market and farm designed to produce and sell locally made food. The Farmery combines a retail grocery and indoor agricultural systems that raise the value of food by offering the customer an educational and stimulating food shopping experience. At the Farmery, the consumer can witness and participate in the growth and harvest of crops and fish.
The Farmery grows a portion of the produce and fish it sells, reducing the complexity and costs of locally sourced food by consolidating the entire food distribution system. Growing food in the store allows the Farmery to provide the freshest possible fare to the consumer.
The Farmery is seeking investment funds to build our second location and for working capital.
The Farmery’s first location is a free-standing “Mini-Farmery” designed to showcase and prototype the unique retail concepts, such as putting the growing process on display and food storytelling,that will be expanded upon in larger Farmery stores. This mini-market sells locally made produce and value added goods.
Our first store is located on the American Tobacco Campus, in the heart of downtown Durham, North Carolina and was opened on July 1st, 2013. The American Tobacco Campus is an award winning, mixed-use development adjacent to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and Durham Performing Arts Center. Our first store location was funded by a sponsorship from Burt’s Bees and American Tobacco Campus.
The Farmery’s second location will be a full-service grocery store and urban farm filled with design features that help attract & retain customers and reduce inventory costs. Some of the innovative design features that will be found in the larger stores include:
1) An indoor vertical plant growing system. Plants will be grown in the shopping space and customers will have the ability to harvest produce while they shop.
2) An onsite aquaponics system that promotes the growth of fish and plants that will be harvested in the store
3) A glass roof that allows natural light to radiate through the store
4) Shipping Containers repurposed to create a cutting edge design.
This second, larger Farmery will also highlight and showcase locally made produce, meats, cheeses and other foods.
In addition to design features, The Farmery will have the most knowledgeable employees in the grocery business and they will act as food consultants to our customers. We will train our employees in cooking techniques, agriculture, nutrition, and how to make that knowledge relevant to the customer.
We believe the Farmery’s design features, shopping experience, and knowledgable employees will help us to quickly develop a loyal customer base and strong profitability.
The Farmery will use equity capital to build its second store.
The Farmery is an urban market and farm designed to produce and sell locally made food. The Farmery combines a retail grocery and indoor agricultural systems that raise the value of food by offering the customer an educational and stimulating food shopping experience. At the Farmery, the consumer can witness and participate in the growth and harvest of crops and fish. The Farmery grows a portion of the produce and fish it sells, reducing the complexity and costs of locally sourced food by consolidating the entire food distribution system. Growing food in the store allows the Farmery to provide the freshest possible fare to the consumer.