While large-scale compared to many community food security projects, the GFB is undoubtedly small in the scheme of the bigger food system. When we began, the idea was that we would buy directly from local farmers. When we were buying for 43 boxes in 1993, that notion turned out to be vastly unrealistic.
Farmers think in terms of fields worth of food.
We were talking cases. Very few farmers operate the mixed farms any more that would be required to supply 15-20 items required for a box each month. Most farmers in our area are two hours or more from the city, making it highly unlikely that they would drive downtown to drop off a few cases of produce. Especially since we didn't plan to pay any more than the regular market. Nor had we the labour or trucks to drive around the countryside picking up the food ourselves.