Cornell Cooperative Extension is rolling out a new online farmers market just in time for spring--and just in time for COVID-19.
WhatsGood allows people to shop online from local farmers and producers and then have their orders dropped at their choice of a half dozen mid-week pick-up sites along the I-88 and Route 20 corridors.
Jim Barber, an agriculture specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schoharie and Otsego Counties, did a trial run of WhatsGood last fall, said his local counterpart David Cox, with plans to take another look at it in 2020.
But then came COVID-19.
And with both a renewed interest in local food and an uncertainly in what conventional farmers markets will look like, the timing to fast-track it couldn’t be better.
WhatsGood is similar to SchoharieFresh, Mr. Cox said, but instead of going to a single pick-up site, shoppers can chose where to get their orders.
Shoppers need to create a no-obligation account at Sourcewhatsgood.com to explore the site and see what’s available; a half-dozen local farmers are already taking orders and deliveries will begin this week.
Cut-off for online orders for along the I-88 corridor is 11pm Mondays; Thursday’s deliveries are along the Route 20 corridor with an online cut-off of 11pm Tuesdays.
(A list of sites and more information on how to join WhatsGood as a farmer follows.)
Mr. Cox said both farmers markets and farm stands have been working hard on ways to address things like social-distancing while meeting what’s likely to be an increased demand for what they sell.
WhatsGood is one way.
It also gives farmers and producers who’d been looking at ways to direct-market even before COVID-19 an easy way in, he said.
“It’s very much hands-off,” he said. “People pre-order and pre-pay, so it works for them and because there are just a handful of drop sites, it works for farmers too; they don’t have to drive all over. They make their stop and get back to work.
“We’ve known for a long time how important our farms are. This is something that really plays to our strengths. It’s convenient and it’s what people want now.”
Farmers interested in selling on WhatsGood can contact Mr. Barber at Jrb248@cornell.edu, (607) 231-3821, or Mr. Cox at dgc23@cornell.edu, (607) 437-9794.
There is no charge for 2020’s vendors.


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Wednesday’s WhatsGood deliveries will be along the I-88 corridor.
The cut-off for customer orders is 11pm Monday.
Drop-off sites, all with Wednesday pick-ups, noon-5pm, are:
• Schoharie Valley Farms, Route 30, Schoharie.
• Tagua Nut Café, West Main Street, Cobleskill.
• Cooperstown Cheese Company, Route 28, Milford.
• Green Earth Health Market, Market Street, Oneonta.
Thursday’s deliveries will be along the Route 20 corridor.
Customer online cut-off is 11pm Tuesdays; pick-up is noon-5pm.
Sites include:
• Black Cat Café, Main Street, Sharon Springs.
• Richfield Community Food Coop, West Main Street, Richfield Springs.
If there’s enough demand, a third route in Western Otsego County along the Route 8 corridor could be added.