FPS is exclusively interested in organic farming, and therefore, in targeting their ultra-organic, “clean” “whole plant” product to the LOHAS market (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability). By maintaining rigorous organic standards for the crop as well as the finished product, FPS boasts the highest quality for taste in the industry. The LOHAS sector also highly values the social impacts of their purchases and when given a choice between purchasing from farmers who need the money versus a investor group that doesn’t, LOHAS will always support the farmer. The coop model shows the direct positive impact of creating economic sustainability for family farms. Each coop member should have a current blog on the coop website so consumers can see the beneficial impacts of their purchases.
Without any marketing or sales relationships outside of word-of-mouth, FPS approached $1,000,000 in revenue in 2019.
With better organization, this figure could substantially grow. This is the very opportunity FPS hopes COF will “take over” by bringing it to its full scale and potential.
FPS is in the process of shifting to a nonprofit organization to better pursue their mission and fundraise for their projects with the help of grants. (FPS initially formed as a worker-owned cooperative from a sense of deep appreciation of the co-op model, but has since become aware why a nonprofit model is a better fit for their goals.)
FPS is anticipating expanding its own extraction and retail operations to serve the growth in farmers this year.