KITCHENER – Paul Knechtel thought Albert Knap and Chris McKittrick were crazy when they first approached him about creating the infrastructure required to deliver locally grown and locally processed foods to local consumers.

"Tearing down the supply chain and rebuilding a value chain is an awful lot of work," Knechtel says. "I think I said something like: 'I don't even know if it can be done.'"

But Instead of walking away, Knechtel agreed to try – and 100 Mile Market – a Kitchener-based company dedicated to helping connect the family farm to nearby urban consumers – was born.

"We started by running a pilot," he continues. "We knew there was a lot of interest in local food; what we wanted to find out was whether that interest would turn into sales."

It did. In fact, when the pilot wrapped up in 2008 and the 100 Mile Market team told their customers that they were going to shut down while searching for a venture capital investor, they were told "don't you dare."

"So we decided to do both at the same time; look for money while we continued to run the business," Knechtel says.

It proved to be tougher than any of the founding partners imagined. The chartered banks didn't want anything to do with a company that had no inventory and no hard assets.

"We underestimated the time and effort it would take," Knechtel says, looking back. "We were falling short of our capital goals but the business was growing exponentially."

The company could have found itself in trouble if it hadn't been for a consortium of Community Futures Development Corporations who came to their aid. The CFDCs – including Perth County's – saw the value in what 100 Mile Market was doing and stepped up to the plate to help.

"Since then the Perth CFDC has been the most active supporter of us, not just in dollar terms but in liaising with constituents, providing contacts … they're very active in promoting us and the relationship has been extremely beneficial."

And not just for 100 Mile Market, either. Knechtel explains the company's business model helps everyone in the chain, from the family farmer who needs access to bigger markets to be competitive right through to the urban consumer who is looking for better quality food.

"If Fair Trade can help coffee growers in Guatemala get a decent price for their beans, we should be paying our farmers a fair price for peaches," he says. "Farms and farmers have been price takers, not price setters, for far too long."

"100 Mile Market can help do something about that."

Find out more about 100 Mile Market by visiting them online at www.100milemarket.com or calling the company toll-free at 1-877-741-0885. Perth Community Futures Development Corporation and the Stratford Perth Centre for Business is dedicated to helping local businesses succeed; call them toll free at 1-877-595-7570 to find out how they can help you.