New platform launched for direct-to-consumer sales

G’Day is a new online platform that aims to better connect consumers with producers. 

Launched July 8, the platform is devoted to connecting community members with direct-to-consumer farm sales and allows all transactions to happen directly between the purchaser and the seller.

The platform is simple. Consumers visit the website, search within their location for the product they are looking for, and a directory with local farmers and their contact information will be listed. 

“We want to be the yellow pages for connecting people with food,” says Scott Schoenfeldt, co-founder of G’Day. “We want all the dealings to happen between the customer and the farmer.” 

Why it matters: G’Day is different from other platforms as it helps consumers find where to go for the local produce and meat they want, allowing them to buy direct from the farm and meet the producers. 

The platform was put together when Schoenfeldt introduced his friend Sean to direct-to-consumer farm sales. 

“I had no idea that I could purchase meat products directly from a farm, fruit and vegetables, sure, but meat and poultry, nope. For some reason I thought everything had to be funnelled through a butcher or a grocery store, says Sean Menzie, cofounder of G’Day.

“I think this logic holds a lot of people back from truly realizing their purchase options. G’Day makes buying local easy and convenient,” he says. 

As well, direct-to-consumer sales are becoming increasingly popular, and G’Day wants to continue to support that, and help guide consumers to their local products and allow for on-farm sales.

“We give farms a platform to market their products, without any per-transaction sales reductions. We don’t take any percentage of the farm sales,” says Menzie. “G’Day further enables the gig economy for the agricultural sector, allowing farmers to take full control of their pricing, and when they sell their products.” 

G’Day has 29 farms across Ontario enrolled and encourages other farms to join. 

Each farm receives a six-month free trial, followed by a $20 monthly charge, or $200 charge for 12 months. 

“Most other websites are government funded and they’re not displayed as prominently. We look at it as a ‘you get what you pay for standpoint’, you are going to pay us to market your food,” says Schoenfeldt.

“Our goal is to create a consistent customer base for producers so that more and more farms can sell their products directly to Canadians,” says Menzie. 

Farmers can register by visiting their website at shopgday.ca and clicking “register”. This will allow them to create an account, and create their listing with their location, contact information, add pictures, a small bio and, if applicable, links to their social media pages or website.

As well, the farms will be showcased on G’Day’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram platforms.

“We want to build a brand where when people think G’Day, they think local food,” says Schoenfeldt. 

He says he and Menzie make a good partnership as Schoenfeldt brainstorms the ideas and Menzie, with his marketing background, runs with it. 

G’Day is striving for four core messages with the program: encouraging local to support local, an improved taste with local food, lowering the carbon footprint of consumers and exposing the public to agriculture. 

As G’Day continues to be successful, Schoenfeldt and Menzie hope to continue to grow the platform with other provinces and possibly continue into the United States in the future. 

“Our goal is to make purchasing products directly from the farm as normal as buying food from your local grocer,” says Menzie. “By using G’Day consumers can easily find local options, and make purchasing decisions they never knew they had.”