UPDATE July 12, 2016: Farmigo founder Benzi Ronen responded to DNAinfo's July 8 request for comment to clarify that while Farmigo is ceasing all deliveries to consumers, the company will continue to operate its software business unit.
The software, which was created before the launch of Farmigo's consumer delivery service, is used by 400 farmers to manage community-supported agriculture operations, Ronen said. "The software business is alive and kicking," Ronen said. "We're going to to continue as a software company to support those farms."
BUSHWICK — A Brooklyn-based startup that aimed to revolutionize the way Americans buy food by connecting shoppers directly with farmers has shut down.
Farmigo announced in an email late Thursday that "despite the best efforts of everyone involved" the company "will be suspending all operations" on July 14.
“We understand that this news is abrupt, and wish we could have given you more notice, but we only found out today, and necessity has pushed us to act quickly,” Farmigo founder and CEO Benzi Ronen wrote in the message.
He added, "On a personal note, I want to thank you — with your help, we've taken some major steps towards building a better food system."
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The company did not respond immediately to a request for further details Friday. Farmigo isn't the first farm delivery service to shut down. The San Francisco-based Good Eggs abruptly closed its Brooklyn operation in August 2015.
Launched in San Francisco in 2011, Farmigo moved to Brooklyn in 2013 with the goal of "collapsing the food chain" by letting consumers shop online for farm-fresh produce, then pick up the food at spots in their neighborhoods such as schools and businesses.
The model promised to put more money in the farmers' pockets, and Ronen said he hoped Farmigo would eventually replace supermarkets.
Just 10 months ago, Farmigo announced it had raised $16 million in venture capital funding and moved its offices from Red Hook to Bushwick. Farmigo previously had offices in DUMBO and then Gowanus, according to reports.
The company said then that it was selling food to 15,000 families, with 2,000 joining the service each month. In addition to its New York and New Jersey customers, Farmigo also had served Northern California and Seattle-Tacoma, Washington operations in the those areas halted last week, Civil Eats reported.
