Glossary · Selling

Direct-to-Consumer (D2C)

Selling food directly from producer to end consumer — at a farmers market, farm stand, CSA, online store, or delivery — without wholesale intermediaries.

Direct-to-consumer (D2C or DTC) means the farm sells directly to the person eating the food — no distributors, wholesalers, or retailers in between. Channels include farmers markets, farm stands, CSAs, u-picks, online orders, and direct delivery.

For small farms, D2C usually captures the highest possible margin (retail pricing on what would otherwise go wholesale at a fraction of the price). In exchange, the farm handles marketing, customer service, and individual-transaction logistics that a wholesale channel would otherwise absorb.

Related Terms

Farmers Market

A regular gathering — typically weekly — where farmers and food producers sell directly to consumers.

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

A membership model where customers pay a farm upfront for a share of the season's harvest, usually delivered weekly.

Farm Stand

A larger, usually staffed on-farm retail operation selling the farm's own products (and sometimes complementary goods from neighboring farms).

Wholesale (Food)

Selling food in bulk to intermediaries — restaurants, grocers, food hubs, distributors — rather than direct to end consumers. Lower per-unit pricing, higher volume, simpler logistics.

Further Reading

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