Farmers Post Produce Delivery

The report argues that the USPS can bridge the gap between farmers with excess produce and food-insecure or underserved consumers by leveraging its existing logistical network. By implementing a standardized produce box system, the USPS could potentially generate between $1.5B and $6B in annual revenue while reducing on-farm crop loss and vehicle miles traveled. The model suggests a third-party aggregator to manage the consumer interface, allowing farmers to sell direct-to-consumer more affordably than through traditional CSAs or high-fee grocery delivery services.

• The USPS could generate significant annual revenue through a produce delivery service: a 2-3% market penetration could result in $1.5B, while 10% penetration could reach nearly $6B.
• Farmers Post could reduce environmental impacts by decreasing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) through the use of pre-established postal routes and by reducing on-farm crop loss, which previously ranged from 2% for processing vegetables to 50% for fresh leafy greens.
• Existing grocery delivery services are often cost-prohibitive due to high service fees, delivery fees, and expected tips, whereas the Farmers Post model would minimize these costs by using established delivery and pick-up routes.
• The proposed service would improve food accessibility for senior citizens, people with disabilities, and those in areas affected by 'food apartheid' by providing a reasonably priced means to receive nutritious produce at home.
• To ensure the service reaches vulnerable populations, the report suggests seeking government approval to accept SNAP benefits or integrating with the Farmers to Families Food Box program.
• The operational success of Farmers Post is threatened by recent USPS service and processing changes implemented in July 2020, which have created uncertainty regarding mail reliability and the ability to deliver perishable produce within a reasonable timeframe.
• A pilot program is being explored by Freight Farms, a modular container farming company, to test the feasibility of the model using 5-10 farms across several states, focusing on quality, temperature control, and 24-hour delivery.

APA

Devine, K. (n.d.). Farmers Post Produce Delivery. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/145/85jnt1vvh7_Farmers_Post_Business_Case_08_20_v8.pdf

Chicago

Devine, Katherine. Farmers Post Produce Delivery. WWF International, n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/145/85jnt1vvh7_Farmers_Post_Business_Case_08_20_v8.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Devine |first1=Katherine |title=Farmers Post Produce Delivery |publisher=WWF International |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/145/85jnt1vvh7_Farmers_Post_Business_Case_08_20_v8.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{devinendfarmers, author = {Devine, Katherine}, title = {{Farmers Post Produce Delivery}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/145/85jnt1vvh7_Farmers_Post_Business_Case_08_20_v8.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }