Some common questions and answers are included below.
Other questions may be answered by referring to the Terms and Conditions for Customers.
If your question is still not answered please email your question to the market manager at tnhomeschooler@yahoo.com.
Here are some frequently asked questions:
- Why Support Locally Grown?
- Are there membership fees?
- What if I forget my username or password?
- Will I have to buy items I don't want?
- How do I order?
- Should I order even if something is sold out?
- So there's no minimum order amount?
- When and how do I pay?
- When and where do I pick up my order?
- What if I don't like something I got?
- Oh no! I forgot to pick up my order! Now what?
- Will you take my egg cartons, containers, and bags?
- What does non-certified organic mean?
- How can I be added to (or removed from) the mailing list?
- How can I sell through this market?
And here are some answers:
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.
Are there membership fees?
To help us cover the cost of maintaining this market, customers will be charged a one-time membership fee of $10 per household. Most markets charge an annual membership fee of $25, but we want to keep ours more reasonable. You are welcome to try us for two orders before officially becoming members.
- Please note that the membership fee will be waived for members transferring from the Tullahoma Locally Grown market. **
We will also add 5% to the cost of each order to help pay the ongoing expenses of running the market.
Farmers will also be charged a 5% “virtual booth fee”.
What if I forget my username or password?
If you forget your password or username, go to the “Your Account” page, 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 the market manager.
Will I have to buy items 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, plants, and artisan goods available that week. You can browse the items on this website before you place your order.
How do I order?
Each Sunday morning, a list of available products will be sent to all of our registered customers by e-mail. Customers will be invited to place their order for the week no later than Tuesday at 10:00 pm. Orders can be placed here on our website or, if necessary, e-mailed to the market manager. Ordering through this web site is our preferred method. It will reduce the amount of time it takes us to process orders, and will provide you with detailed information about our products.
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 not the same as the actual amount that becomes available by harvest day. If an item is “sold out,” but you really want it, 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.
Some numbers are not estimates. Meat, for instance, is usually in the freezer when it is listed on the website. Jams and jellies are usually in storage when listed.
So there's no minimum order amount?
Nope. Order as much or as little as you want, from the farms that you want.
When and how do I pay?
We accept cash or checks when you pick up your order.
You may also prepay. 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 you prepay by at least $100. You can do this with cash, check, or by Paypal. There is no fee for prepayment, and it is easy for customers and market managers alike!
To pay or prepay by Paypal, please speak to Linda.
When and where do I pick up my order?
From 4:00 to 5:00 pm on Thursdays, customers can pick up their produce under the big pavilion on Fort Street, Manchester, with signs that say “Coffee County Farmers Market.” It’s behind the Farm Bureau building on Main Street, and across the street from the Manchester City Schools administration building, 215 East Fort St.
Or on Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the parking lot outside “Nature’s Elite”, which has moved to
105 West Decherd St, Tullahoma.
Or on Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. outside Martin Chapel Fellowship, at 110 Market Street, McMinnville. It’s very close to the big water tower and the farmers’ market pavilion. A delivery surcharge for delivery at this location will no longer be added to your order.
There are maps to these locations on the website.
If you prefer, we will be glad to deliver your order to your home in Coffee County on Thursday evening after market closes. Please order this service just like you order other items.
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 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. Thank you for helping us to make this an outstanding market in every way.
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!
If we haven’t spoken to you personally when it’s time for us to go, we’ll try again.
If we still can’t reach you, we will deliver them to you for the fee listed on the website which pertains to your location.
Since the growers harvested just for you, and (more importantly) since we paid the growers on your behalf when they brought their products to our market, you are still responsible for paying for items, even if you do not pick them up. We’ll have to charge your account, and that amount will get added to your next order.
Will you take my egg cartons, containers, and bags?
Yes. We will return egg cartons and containers (that are already used by our growers) to the farmers. Please don’t save plastic bags for us, except the large, heavy brown Kroger bags. Thanks for helping us to help the environment.
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 for a small grower. Growers are encouraged to describe their management on their page of the “Our Growers” 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. The cost to the farmer is much lower because it involves a peer review process rather than a government bureaucracy. Some of our growers are working toward this certification. To find out more about our growers, and to see what certification, if any, they have, take a look at the “Our Growers” page.
How can I be added to (or removed from) the mailing list?
A weekly email goes out to market customers reminding them 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 would like to be removed from the mailing list, please email the market manager .
How can I sell through this market?
If you’ve already created a customer account here, simply go to the “Our Growers” page and click on ‘Join this Market’. Completion and submission of this form will place your farm in consideration for membership, and our market managers will contact you concerning the next step.
We will charge 5% of your overall sales as a “virtual booth fee”. Like at a traditional farmers’ market, you can set your own prices and list your items as you wish. Contact the market manager for more information.
All producers of non-potentially hazardous foods (jams, jellies, candy and baked goods) must follow the Regulations for Establishments Utilizing Domestic Kitchen Facilities for Bakery and Other Non-Potentially Hazardous Foods Intended for Sale; and complete the processor application.
Producers of potentially hazardous foods need to follow state and federal regulations. More information can be found at the following websites:
http://wcmorris.com/
http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/pb1399.pdf
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/lacf-s1.html
Growers must complete a grower application.