The Market Gardener Podcast

4: Can Small Farms Reclaim Agriculture In The Tech Age? | Pete Russell

May 16, 2024

In this episode, we speak with Pete Russell, founder of Ooooby, an online platform helping growers to increase sales, simplify packing, and optimize deliveries. We go deep into understanding our current food system, exploring how we got here and where we are going. We explore the history of food shopping, shifting consumer behavior post-covid, innovative business models, and why Pete believes we are at the beginning of a new paradigm in our food system. 


Ooooby: https://www.ooooby.com/ 


PLEASE make sure to subscribe to the podcast, download our episodes, and rate them! Your support means the world to us. Thank you!


Sponsors

Bootstrap Farmer ⁠https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/⁠ 

Market Gardener Institute ⁠https://themarketgardener.com/courses⁠  

Use promo code podcast15 for 15% off these select courses:

  • Mastering Greenhouse Production

  • 8 Most Profitable Crops

  • Season Extension Strategies

  • Market Gardening & Organic Farming for Beginners

  • Winter Farming Strategies


Timestamps

[2:01] Intro

[3:06] Pete's mission to put small-scale back at the heart of the food system

[6:04] How Ooooby helps farmers sell online / customer shopping experience

[11:15] Supply chain deep-dive

[14:01] Impact of 2008 financial crisis on the food system

[18:01] How the 1990 Australian recession influenced Pete to play outside the system

[25:22] How COVID-19 shifted consumer behavior toward online shopping and local food sourcing

[35:29] How new tech is allowing small farms to compete with industrial agriculture

[43:33] Story of Soul Farm

[49:29] How online shopping is bringing a new demographic to local food

[54:30] Centralized v. Decentralized food system

[56:18] Ooooby's innovative ownership model

[1:03:46] Hidden downside of democratic/cooperative business models

[1:12:18] How to get started with Ooooby

[1:21:40] Ooooby features; automatic packing lists, automatic delivery routes, online shop front etc.

[1:28:22] Society is at a turning point, have we gone too far?

[1:31:10] Concept of 'home' and its deeper societal meaning

[1:34:49] The Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson & Lord William Rees-Mogg

[1:35:50] Importance of family


Links/Resources

Market Gardener Institute:  https://themarketgardener.com/ 

Masterclass:  https://themarketgardener.com/courses/the-market-gardener-masterclass/ 

Newsletter:  https://themarketgardener.com/newsletter

Blog:  https://themarketgardener.com/blog 

Books: https://themarketgardener.com/books

Growers & Co: https://growers.co/

Heirloom: https://heirloom.ag/

The Old Mill: https://www.espaceoldmill.com/en/


Follow Us

Website: http://themarketgardener.com 

Facebook: http://facebook.com/marketgardenerinstitute 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarketgardeners 


Guest Social Media Links

IG: https://www.instagram.com/oooobyhq/ 

X: https://twitter.com/Ooooby 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/oooobyuk/ 

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/ooooby 

Website: https://www.ooooby.com/ 

Podparadise.com neither hosts nor alters podcast files. All content © its respective owners.