Web developer focuses on farms

We’ve seen numerous web services aimed at small businesses, including an automated phone system, an online exchange and—most recently—a trove of marketing ideas. It wasn’t until earlier this week, however, that we came across one targeting farms. That’s just what Pittsburgh-based Small Farm Central does, though, with a service that helps farmers create websites for their farms. Small Farm Central’s core service provides farms with a website, email addresses, a domain name, photo upload capability, page creation, template customisation and more through an easy-to-use control panel. Additional features include phone support, mailing list handling, a blog service and image editing help. An optional e-commerce extension provides a shopping cart and order processing functionality right inside the farm’s site, while Small Farm Central’s Member Assembler component is a member management platform for community-supported farms. Pricing for core service plans begins at USD 18 per month, while e-commerce options begin at USD 9 each month. Some 250 farms across the United States and Canada now use Small Farm Central to tell their stories, sell their produce and build community among their customers, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recently reported. A model to bring to other parts of the world? (Related: Remote farming: tailor-made, no-fuss vegetable gardens.) Spotted by: Jim Stewart