Here are some frequently asked questions:
- How do I order?
- Will I have to buy vegetables I don't want?
- So there's no minimum order amount?
- When do I pay?
- Are there membership fees?
- What does the 5% virtual booth fee cover?
- When and Where do I pick up my order?
- Why Support Locally Grown?
- Oh no! I forgot to pick up my order. Now what?
- What if I'm dissatisfied with something I got?
- Why are some of your products labelled "organic" and others are not?
- How can I sell through this market?
And here are some answers:
How do I order?
Each Sunday at 8:00 a.m., a list of available products is sent to all of our registered customers by e-mail. Customers must place their order for the week no later than Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. Orders can be placed here on our website but if you are having trouble you can respond directly to the e-mail. Ordering through this web site is Locally Grown’s preferred method as it is designed to reduce the amount of time it takes us to process orders as well as provide you with detailed information about our products.
Will I have to buy vegetables I don't want?
Unlike some co-ops, buying clubs, or CSAs where everyone gets the same box of stuff (and you don’t know what you’re getting until you get it), with Locally Grown you get to order what you want, in the quantities that you want, from the farms that you want. The weekly email lists the produce, milled products, fresh flowers, and artisan goods available that week, and you can browse the items on this website before you place your order.
So there's no minimum order amount?
Nope. Order as much or as little as you want, from the farms that you want.
When do I pay?
Pay for your order when you pick it up. We accept cash or checks made out to McMinnville Locally Grown.
You may also pre-pay. Your balance will be drawn down each time you order and you will never be charged for items that you do not get. We ask that customers pre-pay by at least $100. You can do this with cash, check, or by paypal on the website. To pay by paypal you will need to go to the “your account” page on the website (once you are logged in) and press the “donate” button. Please note that paypal charges a transaction fee (which is about the same cost as a nice head of lettuce). There is no fee for pre-payment with cash or check. Pre-payment is easy for customers and market managers!
Are there membership fees?
To help us cover the cost of setting up a building and all the necessary items to get us started we will have a membership fee of $10 per household. Most markets charge an annual membership fee of $25.00, but if all goes well, we will discontinue the membership fee in the future. You are welcome to try us for two orders before officially becoming members. You will also be charged a 5% “virtual booth fee”.
What does the 5% virtual booth fee cover?
Once we get the building up and running, we have to cover operating expenses. This includes electricity, paper, ink, banking fees and checks. We just hope to break even.
When and Where do I pick up my order?
From 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. each Thursday, customers can pick-up their produce at 678 Arch Cope Road in the Smartt community. We are putting a building in at the location of Farmer Brown’s Hydroponic Gardens to provide a pickup point.
Why Support Locally Grown?
Enhance your local economy: By purchasing produce and other items from local growers you are providing stability to your local economy through the support of local businesses.
Save natural resources: Buying locally makes you an invaluable link in the process of saving resources such as fossil fuels and packaging materials. Also, we are right here in your community so the expense of transportation and delivery is kept to a minimum.
Provide learning opportunities: Locally Grown supporters provide member growers the means to help educate our community about the importance of sustainable agriculture.
Supporting a way of life: The number of small farms in the United States has decreased dramatically in the last decade. Please help us preserve an honest and worthy means of making a living.
We believe that small, diverse, family-owned farms contribute to society’s overall health.
Oh no! I forgot to pick up my order. Now what?
Well, we’re sorry we missed you.
About a half hour before we pack up to go home, we’ll call you if you haven’t come yet, using the phone number you tied to your account. If you have a cell phone, use that number!
Most times, we get an answering machine, so if we haven’t reached you when it’s time to go, we’ll try again.
If we still haven’t been able to reach you, your items will be donated or given away! We do not have a means to keep items until the next week, or to deliver them to you. If we were able to reach you on the phone, we may be able to work out an arrangement, but otherwise, your items will be donated or given away!
Since the growers harvested just for you, and (more importantly) since we paid the growers on your behalf when they brought them to our market, you are still responsible for paying for items, even if you do not pick them up. We’ll charge your account, and that amount will get added to your next order.
What if I'm dissatisfied with something I got?
There have been occasions (rare ones) when customer were not satisfied with products that they received. If this happens please let us know. Email the grower and the market managers. It is up to our growers, but most of our growers will be happy to refund your money or exchange the product. We welcome all feedback and negative feedback is especially important in ensuring high quality in the future.
Why are some of your products labelled "organic" and others are not?
Many of our growers are very small. They abide by the USDA National Organic Standards but they are not certified by a third party. This is not because the national standards are too rigorous (many think they are quite lax in some respects) but because the process is too expensive. Growers are encouraged to describe their management on their grower page and in their product listings.
Certified Naturally Grown is a non-profit program that certifies small farmers. The standards are a little more strict than the USDA Organic Standards and the cost to the farmer is much lower because it involves a peer review process and not a government bureaucracy. We do not currently have any growers who are certified naturally grown.
To find out more about our growers, and to see what certification, if any, they have, take a look at our Growers page.
How can I sell through this market?
If you’ve already created a customer account here, simply go to Our Growers and click on ‘Join this Market’. This will add you to our system and our market managers will contact you with the next step. Like at a traditional farmers’ market, you do get to set your own prices and list your items as you wish.
Please download and read the Grower’s Guide to McMinnville Locally Grown and sign the contract agreeing to the terms and conditions. You can print the document and bring a signed copy along with your first order.
We will charge a 3% “virtual booth fee” to cover the cost of using the “locally grown” software. If you want more information, you can email Ann at locallygrown@farmerbrownsgardens.com.