FarmFreshWeb.com is a website which provides an online directory and e-commerce software to farmers and other vendors at farmers markets. All of the vendors on FarmFreshWeb.com are independently owned and operated. While some farmers might offer mixed fruit and vegetable boxes, others might take custom orders, or just package your order at the farmers market. To find details of how a specific farm or other vendor operates and what they offer, check out their profile on FarmFreshWeb.com.
FarmFreshWeb.com is based on software developed by the OpenFoodNetwork, a project to help local farmers and their customers find each other. The OpenFoodNetwork was developed in Australia and is now in operation all over the world.
Order cycles are a way for farmers and farmers markets to organize orders based on when they are open and able to deliver.
The order cycle starts with the day and time the farmer/market is available to accept orders. It closes in time for farmers to pack and have ready the orders that were placed. Then the process repeats itself. Most order cycles will be one week, to match the week before market day, when the market is open. For customers, this means that you can place your order as early as a week before the day the market is opened, and usually, as late as the day before.
If you see that a market is closed, just return when the next order cycle opens. Usually, this will take less than a day.
All markets on FarmFreshWeb.com are set up for pickup by the customer, at the farmers market (or farm), on market day. Eventually, we plan to offer delivery in some markets, and eventually, to all markets. For now, though, you pick up your order at market (or the farm if that farm offers it).
All the farmers and other vendors on FarmFreshWeb.com are independently operated and have different payment methods available. Payment is due when you pick up - although we do ask for a credit card in case you fail to pick up your order.
At some point, we may offer the ability to pay online for your order, especially for delivery orders.
Traditional supermarket supply chains make it difficult for customers to know where their food is coming from, how it has been produced, and where their grocery dollar will end up. Transparency is central to FarmFreshWeb.com, because we believe that visible supply chains are healthier than those which are hidden. On FarmFreshWeb.com, customers can always see where their food has come from and what proportion of the price goes to the farmer.
In an online market, the pricing pie chart will show you how the price is allocated between the producer and other players like the market or others. You can also see the product properties (such as certified organic, free range, etc) to know more about how the food was produced.
How does shopping on FarmFreshWeb.com bring benefits to farmers, the environment and my local community?
FarmFreshWeb.com makes it easy for you to connect with farmers, giving them more business, and a fair price, for their hard work. A food system with more direct trading between farmers and the local community keeps food dollars in the community’s hands and builds ties and understanding. Shopping local also brings benefits to the environment through lower food miles and more seasonal consumption.
FarmFreshWeb.com makes it easy to find farmers markets, the farms that sell there, when they are open and what the are charging. And it makes it easy to order in advance, so you can pick up the things you know you want and have more time to shop around (if you like). Knowing what's at market also helps you figure out what you can get locally and what you may need to go to the supermarket for.
FarmFreshWeb.com helps make fresh, local food accessible and affordable to all. By showing you what's available and what it costs, you can see where your food is coming from and know you're getting good value for your money.
The FFW shops are wonderfully diverse, which means that you’re sure to find one which suits your needs. You can use the FFW map feature on your local FFW site to find enterprises located near to you. Then, check out the profiles of shops to see if the product range and the payment and shipping methods meet your needs. Each shop has links to the profiles of supplying producers, so you can learn about where the food is coming from, and how it was produced. If production characteristics such as organic certification, or free range is important to you, you can choose see which products and shops meet these standards. The FFW is transparent in pricing as well, so you can see how your food dollar is distributed.
You can view your past orders by logging in at the homepage, clicking the gear in the top right hand corner and selecting Account. Here you will see a summary of your orders at each shop and be able to view details of each unique order.