Here are some frequently asked questions:
- Are there membership fees?
- Will I have to buy vegetables I don't want?
- How do I order?
- When do I pay?
- When and Where do I pick up my order?
- Why Support Locally Grown?
- How can I sell through this market?
And here are some answers:
Are there membership fees?
To help us provide farm tours, educational programs, and to help us with our overhead costs, we ask that you pay an annual fee of $15 per household for one calendar year. You are welcome to try us for two orders before officially becoming members.
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.
How do I order?
Each Sunday evening, 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 Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. Orders can be placed here on our website www.maplehill.locallygrown.net. Ordering through this web site is our 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.
When do I pay?
We accept cash or checks when you pick up your order. Because we may have to adjust your total then (to account for unnanounced items you decide to purchase or items that were unexpectedly unavailable), we do not accept advance payment on the website.
When and Where do I pick up my order?
Customers can pick-up their produce at the farm after 3:00PM on Thursdays. It will be possible to pick up your order at a different time if it has been prearranged. During the CSA season we have other drop-off/pick-up sites, and they are announced on the weblog.
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.
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. We do charge a one-time-only fee of $25 (which we can deduct from your sales)as well as 5% of your overall sales. Like at a traditional farmers’ market, you do get to set your own prices and list your items as you wish. Contact Ron Kersten at rlkersten@frontier.com or phone 715-535-2209 if you want more information.