San Luis Obispo -- A new start-up on the central coast lets you shop online at a virtual farmers market. It caters to people and restaurants who want to eat local.
Horsepower.com is a new company operating out of cal poly's technology park. It allows customers to shop at a farmers market in cyber space.
Jim Shelton, with horsepower.com, says, "We help connect the farmer directly to the consumer whether that's a restaurant or someone who wants to buy local."
Horsepower is harnessing the "locavore" trend, the push to eat locally grown food. It connects farmers with customers online.
Shoppers, including restaurants like Big Sky Café in San Luis Obispo, can find the local produce they want and they can also post grocery lists on the site.
Chef Greg Holt at Big Sky says it saves him time, money, and it's what his customers want. Holt says, "The farmers around here it all tastes better, it really does, and second I have traceability, I know who is growing what for me and it's returning the finances and economy back to the local area."
Shoppers who order produce online can pick it up at a weekly meet-up.
Horsepower.com operates much like craigslist, it's free for farmers and shoppers.
Cal Poly graduate Jim Shelton says the site is getting a great response so far.
