How can I sell through this market?

To sell through this market you will need to create an account and email me to let me know you are interested (cumberlandfm@gmail.com). Please include your farm name in the body of the email. I will add your farm to our grower list and link your account to your farm so that you can edit your information page and upload pictures into your photo album.

Please download and read the Vendor’s Guide to the Cumberland Farmer’s Market . You will also need to sign a contract agreeing to the terms and conditions of the market.

We are currently looking for area growers. We are not planning to charge a set up fee for growers this year. However, we may need to do so in the future (incentive to sign up now).

Like at a traditional farmers’ market, you do get to set your own prices and list your items as you wish. Contact Jess Wilson at cumberlandfm@gmail.com if you want more information.

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When and Where do I pick up my order?

You can pick up your order at the Sewanee Community Center (behind the Sewanee Market on Ball Park Rd.)Tuesdays from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. If you order a delivery your order will be delivered to your home on Tuesday evening between 5 and 7. Regular delivery customers must pre-pay. A $2 handling fee is charged for order that are not picked up. The Cumberland Farmer’s Market, the Sewanee Community Center, and the growers are not responsible for orders which are delivered or left behind.

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Are there membership fees?

As of 2008 we are not charging a membership fee. We instead charge a 7% virtual booth fee to cover our overhead expenses. This fee will be automatically added to your order total.

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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, breads, meat, fresh flowers, and artisan goods available that week, and you can browse the items on this website before you place your order.

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How do I order?

Each Saturday evening at 5 p.m., a reminder email is sent to all of our registered customers. Customers must place their order for the week no later than Monday at 10:00 a.m. Orders are placed here on our website. If needed you may email orders to the market managers. 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.

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When do I pay?

You can pay for your order at pick up. We accept cash or checks made out to the Cumberland Farmer’s Market.

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!

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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.

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Should I order even if something is sold out?

Growers are asked to estimate how many items they will have available each week (for vegetable growers this involves looking at the live plants and guessing what they will amount to once they are harvested). Sometimes these estimates are off from the actual amount that is available. If a vegetable is “sold out” but you would like to try your luck you may go ahead and order it anyway. Once you get to know your growers you may become aware of the ones that are better at estimating (for instance In Town Organics generally underestimates but Coyote Cove Farm is usually right on). Some numbers are not estimates. Meat, for instance, is usually in the freezer when it is listed on the website. As the growing season progresses I’m assuming that growers will get better at providing accurate estimates (I’m speaking for myself here)... then again, maybe not.

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What does the 7% virtual booth fee cover?

The market itself does not take any profit from sales. We do however collect enough money to cover overhead expenses. The current membership fee and soon to come 7% virtual booth fee cover these expenses. We are charged 3% of sales for the use of this great software. We donate and additional 3% of our sales to the community center for the use of thier building. The rest goes toward paper, ink, and checks.

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Will you take my egg cartons, bags, and other containers?

Yes. We will return egg cartons and containers (that are already used by our growers)to the farmers. Please no bags.

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What if I don't like something I got?

There have been occasions (rare ones) when customer were not satisfied with products that they received. If this happen 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. We welcome all feedback and negative feedback is especially important in ensuring high quality in the future.

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What does non-certified organic mean?

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, but some of our growers are working toward this certification.

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What if I forget my user name or password?

If you forget your password or user name go to the your account page and click “I forgot my password” and enter your email address. Your user name and a new password will be emailed to you.

Log in using the new information and then change your password to something you will remember on the your account page.

If this does not work or you experience other computer problems please report them to a market manager cumberlandfm@gmail.com.

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How can I be added to (or removed from) the mailing list?

A weekly email goes out to market customers reminding then that the market has opened for ordering. You may order even if you have not received this email.

To be on the market mailing list visit the “your account” page and click on “create an account”.

If you have moved away and would like to be removed from the mailing list please email the market managers at cumberlandfm@gmail.com .

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