farmers load produce into various size compartments that the public pays to open via an automatic cash machine - skip the middle man, encourage farming-- M Carter, Dec 29 2007 farmer's vending machine http://www.zombiezo..._food_news_etc.htmlJapanese farmer's vending machine [yikes!!!, Jan 05 2008] Another veggie vending machine in Tokyo. http://www.kilian-n...busy-city-slickers/I think this is a different one - this one has larger shelves. [jutta, Jul 08 2008] Will these machines be self cleaning? Will each compartment be refrigerated, and if so will each have different temp settings? Will certain compartments be aerated to ensure crisp-ness? Will your local co-op pay for the manufacture and maintenance of these machines and will they be cost effective? Will the machine give me a free rutabaga if I tip it on its side? Would a starving person get their arm stuck trying to get free veggies?Does each farmer deliver their produce themselves?
I dunno, sounds like a few middle men in there somewhere to me.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 29 2007 Automated farmer's market. We can still buy milk at the going rate, only the profits will go to the farmer instead of the supermarket.
From Tesco: [-]
From me: [+]-- wagster, Dec 29 2007 You know the way sometimes farmers sell their product by the roadside? They put up a sign like so: Avocado's 50 cents each, leave money on tray? All who take an avocado WILL leave their 50 cents, I am sure.
Once I stayed in a hotel that had a tray of goodies like chocolat and such with a sign saying: leave your money here when you take something, and a price list. There was a handfull of coins so I could get change.
These are the things that make me feel that somebody trusts me, somebody whom I have never met. I would never betray that kind of trust in me. It is a true niche of paradise in this world.
I wish I could bone this idea twice.---- zeno, Dec 30 2007 My parents bought a farm in "middle-of-nowhere" Pennsylvania and ran out of milk, so I volunteered. I drove for 20 minutes up the road to see a sign for "Farm Fresh Milk". I drove up the driveway to find a lit building with some glass door refridgerators with milk and a cash drawer laying on the counter. I assumed that we had come by right as they were closing, so went around to knock on the chicken coop to get the owners attention. He was busy and explained that it was self serve, leave the money and take the milk. The cash was for change. We agreed and went did as we were told and left the money. As we were leaving we saw the sign that stated that due to the fact that many people didn't pay for the items that they took, the store would be closing the following day. I am sad to this day for the loss of this piece of Americana.
That guy had $ix gla$$ front refridgerator$, so I bet he would get one of these if it would dispence gallons of milk. Bun(+) Oh and he sold pasteurized milk, skim, cream and butter.-- MisterQED, Dec 31 2007 @UB: Bah, cleanliness is for yellerbellies. +-- Spacecoyote, Dec 31 2007 OK [misterQED] I will take back one of my fishbones.-- zeno, Jan 01 2008 Use this to load migrant labour in the slots. Farmers, around harvesting time, can simply insert a wage and a labourer willing to work for that wage can then be released. Change name to Farmers' Vending Machine. Perhaps, in other seasons, it could be used to dispense farmers to the nouveau riche that decided to buy a *little* orchard, within a 40 min. chopper flight radius of their city home.-- 4whom, Jan 02 2008 Nice free association, -4whom-, at least those should make it as cartoons on the Times Editorial page.-- M Carter, Jan 02 2008 It's baked everywhere around here, it's called a cardboard box, usually located on a table under a crooked wooden roof. Veggies in box, take some, put money in coffee can. (we still have honesty in these here parts.)-- xandram, Jan 02 2008 Automatic video surveillance is de rigueur nowadays. Especially for the small guys that need them most, like farmers and low income city dwellers in low income neighborhoods.
Long live 'Yo Mamma.'-- M Carter, Jan 04 2008 I like this idea, and think it should be paid for by the government. The more producers are able to sell direct, the fewer cream-stealing middlemen there are. And about cleanliness - where the hell do you think your fancy supermarket gets the food? Same exact place.-- vincevincevince, Jan 04 2008 great idea, for vending objects bag of potatoes/ bag of apples/ melon/pumpkin size, all on a trailer (that can be immobilised) so it can be packed elsewhere and taken to the roadside. A simple vend mechanism to keep the cost down. This must have already been done somewhere. Urgently needed in Australia due to the supermarket food monopoly.-- yikes!!!, Jan 05 2008 OK, pair of artistes, as in ripoff artistes, = duopoly, however, seeing as how the grammar squad have knocked on the door, the current usage of the word monopoly is also applicable as it refers to the exclusive possession of the trade in a small number of hands( informal cartel, thus mono?) rather than that trade being in the possession of one (mono) entity. Admittedly current usage can be nothing short of the continuing bad grammar of media reporters, and thus half bakey posters. On the other hand all language evolves from usage.-- yikes!!!, Jan 05 2008 I'm not a farmer, I'm a consumer. I regularly try to stop travelling a considerable distance to buy food at a market, but am regularly faced with prices 3-6 times what I pay at the market, at the nearby supermarkets. It just doesn't cost them that much to distribute the food to near where I live. 2 purchases at the market and I have paid for petrol. Middle men in the food distribution chain need government price regulation. Farm gate to consumer price hikes are often totally unjustified and proportionally affect persons who can least afford it. That is why this is such a great idea as it cuts them out entirely for any consumer travelling in country areas.-- yikes!!!, Jan 06 2008 no matter how you do it. it's a good idea, people would probably love to stop, and get fresh, cheap produce.-- cornpad, Jan 06 2008 Baked. There's a sausage company in New Zealand that has a vending machine set up alongside the road near Nelson. You can buy sausages, deli cuts, and vaccum packed, refridgerated cuts of meat. Beef, and venison.
It's in a little shack, protected from the weather. In this case it wasn't 50 cent apples, but $10-$30 chunks of meat.
[edit] actually, it seemed pretty expensive, in retrospect.-- mylodon, Jan 08 2008 Thanks -yikes!!!- , yikes!!! thanks. Just got around to seeing your link on Japanese machines.-- M Carter, Jan 21 2008 random, halfbakery