Transparency Truth: Map Still Has Gaps

A Growing Community

Blue Dot Farms continues to grow because people want a better way to find independent farmers, ranchers, growers, and food producers.

Since launch, 4,104 people have joined the Blue Dot Farms community. That growth shows that people are ready to learn more about who produces their food and how they can connect with producers in their area.

Every new member helps strengthen the movement. Members bring local knowledge, ask useful questions, and help us learn where people are searching for producers.

Building the Producer Directory

The public Blue Dot Farms directory now includes 52 live producers in 27 states.

Each live producer gives people another opportunity to learn about an independent operation. As the directory grows, it can become more useful to people searching for producers near them.

But the number of community members is growing faster than the producer directory in some areas. That creates clear gaps on the map.

Those gaps tell us where help is needed most.

Where Members Are Waiting

New York has 145 Blue Dot Farms members, but there are currently no live producers from New York in the public directory.

Ohio has 125 members and no live producers.

Minnesota has 110 members and no live producers.

Together, these numbers show that people are joining the community even when the directory does not yet have a producer listed in their state.

That does not mean independent producers are missing from those states. It means Blue Dot Farms has not yet connected with and added them to the live directory.

Community knowledge can help close that gap.

Why Recommendations Matter

People often know about farms and producers in their area that may be difficult to find through a general online search. Some producers may be well known locally but have limited visibility outside their community.

A recommendation gives Blue Dot Farms a place to begin. It helps us identify an operation, learn what it produces, and gather the information needed for the review process.

Recommendations are especially valuable in states where members are already waiting for local options.

Help Us Fill the Gaps

Blue Dot Farms has reached 4,104 members, but building a strong producer network will take help from people in communities across the country.

Our current directory includes 52 live producers in 27 states. The next stage is about making that network broader, more useful, and more connected to the people searching for it.

If you know an independent farmer, rancher, grower, or food producer—especially in New York, Ohio, or Minnesota—recommend that producer to Blue Dot Farms.