Virtual Farmer’s Market

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL Fox 35) - The internet isn't just for buying clothes and electronics anymore. Now people are logging on to buy their favorite fruits and veggies from farms right here in Central Florida.

From the farm to your dinner table in just a day, and all you have to do is log online.

“That’s less than four hours from the garden to someone's home essentially,” Tom Carey, of Sundew Gardens, says.

Carey is taking fresh to a whole new level. The produce he picks in the morning is delivered to the homegrown co-op that afternoon, where it's sorted for shoppers.

“We are trying to make eating local and being healthy just as easy and convenient as possible,” says Michael Tiner, co founder of the Homegrown Co-Op.

This farmer's market has an added twist. Orders are placed online. Shoppers can pick up their food at the co-op or have it delivered to their front door.

“In many cases we're actually delivering a living item,” Tiner says. “The lettuce is still alive, it still has it's roots attached.”

Tiner says produce sold at the co-op is fresher than from the grocery store ... much fresher.

“Grocery store veggies, by the time we're looking at them, they're typically anywhere between 7 and 14 days old,” he explains.

How much does it cost?

“Our prices compare into the organic food markets, so if you're used to buying organics at Publix Greenwise section or at a Whole Foods type outlet, you're going to find out prices comparable, if not better,” Tiner says.

But for some, the price is worth it.

“There is a bit of a premium but like everything else in life, it's about priorities,” says shopper Brittany Prichard. “I have a 6-month-old, and she has just started eating solid food, and in the interest of putting just the absolute healthiest food in her body, the Co-Op was the way to go for me.”

It’s healthy food at the click of a button.

Food from the Homegrown Co-Op can be picked up or delivered to your door twice a week - on Wednesdays and Saturdays. There is an annual fee to be part of the Co-op. To find out more, visit www.homegrowncoop.org .