????Farmigo的訂單均價從一年半前的15美元漲到了現在的38美元，很大原因是這家初創公司在不斷增加新品（比如魚類，很快還會有新鮮的意大利面條上市）。如今他們提供的種類已經足夠多，人們單單靠Farmigo的供應就能滿足日常需求。羅內恩的一名員工就這樣做了幾個月，平均一餐大約花費5美元。而羅內恩也開始加入這一行動，他們內部把這叫做“Farmigo挑戰”。

????羅內恩承認，某些產品的價格仍然過高，比如，一個有機哈密瓜的售價高達6.5美元。不過，隨著農民的生產效率因生意規模的擴大而不斷改善，農產品售價將變得越來越實惠。

????創立伊始，Farmigo公司的主要業務是為一家電商編寫軟件，以幫助顧客尋找和參加CSA項目。但羅內恩表示，當時的購買體驗讓不少用戶抓狂，因為各個農產品供應商采用完全不同的下單和支付系統。Farmigo隨后演變成了一家網站，用戶可以在上面訂購任何農場的產品，農民則將貨物寄到配送點。這種流程存在一些運營挑戰，因為農民的物流有時候會出問題，導致貨物丟失。羅內恩表示：“我們意識到我們真的需要自己親自來運作。”

????這家公司仍然在銷售CSA軟件，同時也提供了免費服務，讓農場知道什么時候需要雇傭更多人手，讓倉庫知道要打包什么貨物，讓司機知道要運送什么包裹。羅內恩表示，農民會獲得銷售額的60%至70%，社區取貨點會獲得銷售額的10%，剩下的則由Farmigo收入囊中。一般來說，農民在賣給批發市場時，只能獲得30%的銷售額，而有50%的銷售額會進入零售商的口袋。根據羅內恩的說法，Farmigo系統對農民還有另一個好處：他們能立刻收到顧客的付款，而在其他模式下，農民通常得等上30至60天才能拿到錢。

????Fresh Directs和亞馬遜在人口密集的城市地區才能如魚得水，但羅內恩相信他的模式在郊區也能運轉良好，諸如教堂、學校、高爾夫俱樂部這樣的取貨點也很容易找到。Farmigo最近把業務范圍擴張到了新澤西州北部和韋斯切斯特地區，并以每月30個的速度增加社區配送點。

????羅內恩將Farmigo視為虛擬化的食品合作社，對那些很難找到超市的地區來說，它會是一個很好的選擇。他表示：“我們不是把食品送到那里，然后指望大家去購買。我們配送的是已經被預定和購買的產品。取貨點也處于一個便利位置，因此送貨非常方便，效率很高?！保ㄘ敻恢形木W）

????譯者：嚴匡正

????Farmigo’s average order size is up to $38 from $15 a year and a half ago, in large part because the startup keeps adding new products (such as fish, and soon, fresh pasta). There’s now enough variety that one could live solely on Farmigo’s offerings. One of Ronen’s employees has been doing just that for months at a cost of about $5 a meal, and Ronen just signed on for what is internally called the “Farmigo Challenge.”

????Ronen acknowledges that the pricing is still prohibitive for some—an organic cantaloupe costs $6.50—but the more he can improve the efficiencies for the farmer by increasing their business, the better the price tag for the customer.

????Farmigo started out as the maker of software for an online marketplace where consumers could find and sign up for CSAs. But Ronen says it was a confusing user experience because the sign-up and payment system differed for each offering. Farmigo then evolved into a place where users could order online from any farm, and the farmer would deliver to a pick-up location. That had its challenges because sometimes farmers would run into logistical hiccups and miss the drop-off. “We realized we really needed to get into operational side,” Ronen says.

????While the company continues to sell its CSA software, it also now has free offerings that help its farms know when to hire, its warehouses know what to pack, and its drivers know what to deliver. Ronen says that its farmers walk away with 60-70% of the sale, the community organizer who runs the drop-off gets 10%, and Farmigo gets the rest. Normally a farmer gets about 30% of the sale when they sell to wholesale, with about 50% going to the retailer. Another advantage advantage for farmers in the Farmigo system, according to Ronen: They’re also paid immediately directly by the consumer, rather than the standard 30-60 days.

????The Fresh Directs and Amazons need the density of cities to function, but Ronen believes his model works well in the suburbs where pick-up locations–churches, schools, golf clubs–are easy to come by. Farmigo recently expanded into northern New Jersey and Westchester and is adding about 30 drop-off sites a month.

????He views Farmigo as the virtualization of a food cooperative and a good solution for locations where it might be hard to justify a supermarket. “We’re not just sending food out there and hoping people are going to buy it,” he says. “We’re sending out what was pre-ordered and pre-purchased. The pickup is at one location so it’s very portable and cost effective to do delivery.”