Farmer Direct Organic
From bulk to a national consumer brand
The CPG brand development and launch of Farmer Direct Organic
Team Member(s)
Jamie Lamonde
Gage MitchellHow we helped
Jason Freeman founded a farmer cooperative to bring about an organic food future—one in which family farmers in North America would be guaranteed pay that allows them to grow the best possible crops while paying their farm workers fairly and keeping their organic products affordable for consumers. Kindship Group’s founder and CEO, Jamie, fell in love with this vision. Armed with her experience working at Organic Valley, another farmer cooperative, she set out to help turn it into reality.
The first steps Jamie and the team took in creating the new consumer brand included naming, logo creation and conducting focus groups in key US markets. With a name and logo, Farmer Direct Organic was brought into the bulk sections at Whole Foods Markets nationwide. There, the brand performed so well that Whole Foods asked Farmer Direct Organic to package their products in 1 lb. retail bags to be sold on the shelves, as well. This required the creation of a full consumer brand. Jamie brought in Gage Mitchell, Kindship Group’s Creative Director and his team at Modern Species to translate the brand vision into a compelling package design. With a new consumer-friendly face, the Farmer Direct Organic brand took off, selling over 100,000 units within two months—more than double the predicted trajectory—prompting immediate reorders from Whole Foods.
After more than a decade, Farmer Direct Organic has continued to evolve, add more products, and expand into more online and brick-and-mortar retailers across the US. All along the way, Kindship Group continues to support their growth, strategize their next marketing and brand moves, manage the brand’s online presence and communications, support the sales team, and keep the brand aligned to the mission of growing an organic food future.
Good results
Successfully launched Farmer Direct Organic bulk and branded products with a nationwide Whole Foods exclusive, and sold over 100,000 units in the first two months, over double the predicted velocity.
American Package Design Award
