Market Wagon celebrates milestone, thanks East Tennesseans
August 16, 2022

Every home in 14 Tennessee counties can order
fresh food online with delivery

KNOXVILLE -- Market Wagon is celebrating the achievement of an important milestone for the local food community in East Tennessee: $1 million in cumulative sales for the farmers, chefs and artisans in and around Knoxville. But the sales figure represents far more than a number. For many family owned businesses in the region, it’s been the consistent revenue that has allowed them to thrive and, in some cases, not permanently close when the pandemic changed the industry overnight.

Market Wagon is an online farmers market which delivers food to every home in a 14-county region of Knoxville and East Tennessee. The service allows customers to browse locally grown products on their computer or smartphone throughout the week and place an order from multiple local vendors with one single checkout. 

Consumers can order from more than 55 of their favorite local farms and artisanal food vendors in Tennessee who offer a combined 1,000+ items for sale each week. Customers don’t have to leave their homes because everything is delivered to their door every Thursday afternoon in insulated totes using ice packs to preserve freshness.

The Market Wagon platform has been a major source of financial stability for farms and chefs who were dealt a devastating blow with the closure of farmers markets and restaurants in the early stages of the pandemic. When Market Wagon opened its local distribution hub in February 2021, food producers jumped at the chance to connect with consumers directly.

A strong local supply chain provides an important solution to the continuing global supply chain problems exposed by the pandemic.

Dirt Poor Farm produce. Image courtesy of Dirt Poor Farm

Market Wagon’s success has been instrumental in keeping many small businesses going including: 

• Cruze Farm (Knoxville) – For generations, the Cruze family has been bottling milk and making ice cream from cows which are on pasture 365 days a year. Market Wagon allows them to bring back the role of old-fashioned milkman without having to make the deliveries themselves.
• Dirt Poor Farm (Sweetwater) – Kyle and Chelsea West grow organic produce like tomatoes, green beans and melons on their 20-acre farm in addition to cattle and pigs which are naturally-raised, free from hormones. As farmers as well as parents of two young children, they love Market Wagon’s easy and efficient single drop-off point.
• Good Golly Tamale (Knoxville) – From humble origins on the back of a tricycle, owner Matt Miller has garnered national recognition for his tasty tamales. With Market Wagon, now countless customers throughout East Tennessee don’t have to make the trip to Old Town.

Market Wagon's mission is to enable food producers to thrive in their local and regional markets. By providing exceptional choice and service, people can know exactly where their food comes from. The online store contains everything you would expect to find at a physical farmers market – local farm-fresh eggs, dairy, meat, produce, baked goods, and more. 

Shopping requires no upfront fees or long-term subscriptions. Food is delivered in reusable, insulated cloth bags along with ice packs which can be reused over and over again. Interested food producers can apply to become a vendor on the company's website.

About Market Wagon
Market Wagon transforms the farm-to-table concept into a farm-to-front-door reality. Its mission is to enable food producers to thrive in their local markets by operating as an online farmers market. Market Wagon partners with more than 2,500 local farmers and artisans to take their produce and products the very last mile to the doorstep of 45,000+ local customers. Farmer and tech entrepreneur Nick Carter teamed up with logistics expert Dan Brunner to start Market Wagon in 2016. It is now available in more than 30 markets across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin. For more information, visit marketwagon.com.