PlatFerma – 100% natural products originary from the Romanian countryside

Mens sana in corpore sano.

Healthy mind, healthy body. There is a strong connection between the body and soul. We think more positively and we feel better on the long run when we have a a healthy lifestyle and we take care of our body. Healthy, natural, organic food, without additives and chemicals is priceless. It has a very strong positive impact on our general mood and state of mind. Good quality, fresh and natural products should be the basis of our daily diet.

In the urban landscape it can sometimes be difficult to have access to this kind of products. People don’t always have the time to go to the market and buy fresh organic fruits and vegetables. They don’t necessarily have relatives at the countryside either. But luckily, in Romania, a couple of people have thought of an ingenious solution to bring these products into the heart of the city in a very simple manner. Discover PlatFerma and Ada’s project in the interview below and don’t hesitate to share this initiative!

PlatFerma – what is this project about?

PlatFerma is a platform for farmers and food-minded people. An online meeting place for those interested in local produce grown naturally in Romania and the stories of the people who grow them. Each farmer gets a Farmer Portrait and has a dedicated place on our Farm Map. And this is only the beginning. You can discover PlatFerma in detail here: http://platferma.ro/categorii-platferma/.

How did it all start?

The adventure began like in any garden, with the seed of an idea. This idea grew in an appropriate soil and I cared for it with attention, passion and curiosity until it became the PlatFerma you see today. Myself (Ada), I wanted to have access to the food I used to eat during my childhood. I wanted to find out who still produces flavored tomatoes in the garden. So I did what (almost) any curious, prepared, organized and passioned individual would do: I started a blog. This blog turned into a platform. A few friends joined me (http://platferma.ro/platferma-jurnal-de-bord-1-echipa-platferma/). Then we built a beautiful map to pinpoint every farmer we found (http://platferma.ro/harta-fermelor-romania/) and people starting sharing and commenting about how useful PlatFerma was.

The first ones who opened their virtual doors to us were the Corogeanu family. Our first farm visit was in Sântionluca, in Covasna county. We`ve been collecting farm stories ever since. And we keep on feeding our curiosity regarding farmers and their produce, Romanian crafts and design. We continue looking for local shops and restaurants that use local produce, culinary events and anything that tickles our senses and our souls.

What trends influenced the business model?

The trend of returning to what Romanians see as natural can be seen all over our country. In all domains from health to sport, free time and relaxation. People miss simplicity and we focus on simplifying the process of finding natural produce in Romania.

No matter if you cook at home or you eat out, you still want energizing food. This led to us adding on PlatFerma local shops and restaurants where you can find local produce.

PlatFerma brings to your plate basic and new foods so that you can cook the best meals with simple healthy ingredients. Even more, we try to keep up with culinary events that initiate and complete our daily food choices. And this is not all.

What products and services does PlatFerma offer?

PlatFerma helps farmers become more visible to those directly interested in natural produce. We tell their stories and support them in promoting their farms.

We have a Farm Map so that food-minded people can discover nearby farmers. People learn about what produce they have, how they grow crops and animals. And they have all the information necessary to get in touch with each farmer.

The advantages are clear for farmers and food-minded people alike. They meet right in the middle, on PlatFerma, and they are the engine of our platform.

Advantages for food-minded people:

• they can find natural, local produce nearby or anywhere in Romania on out Farm Map,

• all the information about each farmer is available in “Farmer’s Portrait” (Portret de Fermier),

• they have all the contacts necessary to visit the farm or place an order,

• people can read other people’s opinions or share their own thoughts in the comments,

• they receive regular updates thanks to our newsletter,

• people can also recommend their favorite farmers and stand by their work to encourage people to eat and stay healthy.

Advantages for farmers:

• details about their farm are visible to those directly interested,

• thier farm is part of an open community that keeps getting bigger,

• we keep in touch to develop solutions to their problems and challenges,

• they can learn from other farmers on PlatFerma,

• they have access to all the methods we use and surprises we prepare, including local shops and restaurants, as well as online and mass-media collaborations and events.

Beyond the advantages of a Farmer`s Portrait and the Farm Map, PlatFerma outlines many dimensions of Romanian food and non-culinary traditions. You can find out more about this on the “Discover PlatFerma” page. (http://platferma.ro/categorii-platferma/).

What is the difference between PlatFerma and Cutia Țăranului  (The Peasant Box)?

PlatFerma is the bridge between praise-worthy initiatives like The Peasant Box and food-minded people and local culinary businesses. We wrote about Cutia Țăranului in our list of 21 Romanian Brands on Facebook and we can`t wait to meet them in person.

How exactly does the platform work for farmers?

In order to discover and tell the story of each farm, farmers send us an email al platerma@gmail.com. They tell us the short version of their story. We reply with a series of questions meant to guide us through the story and clarify details.

PlatFerma`s questions are simple (Who? What? Where? How? When? Why?). We also ask farmers to send us the official documents that certify their farm and the quality of their production. Once we get to know them through the Farmer’s Portrait, we can set the base of future collaborations.

The magic of healthy food is created when the diversity of souls, scents and emotions come together. Being close to those who plant and raise our food is the secret of gratitude.

And for regular people interested in buying the products?

PlatFerma is open to all those who want to know more about their daily food and natural produce found in Romania. People who want to buy produce from the farm have all the contacts listed in each Farmer`s Portrait you see on PlatFerma. We encourage people to search, discover, visit and taste what they are longing for. They will find more than ever expected.

Your plans for the future?

Our intention is to see the Farm Map filled with farms and to strengthen the bond between those who eat and those who farm in the many creative ways it can be done. We will be collaborating with people having the same purpose: to discover and support farmers and natural Romanian produce and products. We will have both online and offline collaborations.

What we can also say is that we wholeheartedly read the emails and comments on PlatFerma. We rely on peoples’ recommendations to discover Romania`s favorite farmers. So don’t hesitate to recommend us your favorite farmers at platferma@gmail.com so we can all enjoy diversity on the Farms Map.

We invite you take a look at PlatFerma website or Facebook Page and encourage them as you can – by subscribing, by sharing your thoughts & feelings or by recommending them to people that might be interested in their project!

Andreea