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FarmToYou FAQ: For Producers (Farms & Sellers)

Straight answers to the questions that matter when you're deciding whether to sell on FarmToYou.

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Written by Froiland Rich Lovino

What is FarmToYou?

FarmToYou is built by farmers, for farmers. We're a place where independent farms and food producers can tell their story and sell their harvest directly — without middlemen — so more of the food dollar lands in the farmer's pocket.

FarmToYou is where independent farms and food producers can be found by the people and businesses who want to know where their food comes from, know their farmers, and buy direct. And it's more than a listing: the platform is your storefront and website, your customer relationships, and your back office all in one place.

Here's the part that sets us apart: FarmToYou doesn't just give your farm a website — it automatically places you in a marketplace alongside other farms and food producers, so the buyers and consumers who want to buy direct can actually find you. What we don't do matters too: we don't aggregate, warehouse, ship, or take possession of your money or your goods. We give you the infrastructure to run your own direct sales and stay out of the middle.


Is FarmToYou a CSA or a food hub?

Think of us as an online farmers' market. Your farm's website and story sit right alongside other farms and food producers — represented together, but every farm remains fully independent. You keep control of your brand, pricing, customers, and cash, and when you sell, the money goes straight to your account on the terms you set.

We'd also love to work with CSAs, food hubs, and farmers markets — giving them similar tools to source from and promote local farms and food producers. We're not here to replace how you already sell; we're here to help you be found and sell direct.


What does it cost?

It's free to join and free to self-manage. No setup fees and no cancellation fees. We charge a flat 3% platform fee per transaction — the same rate for direct-to-consumer sales, experiences, and wholesale. You only pay when you make a sale. Reduced rates and subscription plans can be arranged for high-volume sellers, and transaction fees are billed weekly on any balance over $5.Learn more...


Being found & telling your story

Will buyers actually find me? Do I need my own website?

This is the heart of what FarmToYou does. A farm can build its own website and still be invisible — and the directories that do exist (often Dept. of Agriculture lists) are frequently out of date or don't actually connect you to the farm. Search for a local farm, and you'll mostly find grocery chains or broad directories with no clear way to reach anyone.

FarmToYou fixes that by putting farms and food producers where buyers are already looking — in one living marketplace that's current and easy to reach, not a dead listing. And buyers come here on purpose: we give them centralized tools to find real farms and buy direct, so they shop FarmToYou with intention. Instead of every farm fighting to be found alone, we centralize the search — so a restaurant, a value-added producer, or a shopper looking to buy direct actually finds you.

And no, you don't need your own website — this can be it. It's your choice: keep the site you have, or use FarmToYou as your storefront and save those costs. Either way you get a storefront, your story, events, social tools, product listings, and a direct line to buyers, all in one place.

How does FarmToYou help me tell my story and build my brand?

Your storefront is built to showcase who you are, not just what you sell — producer landing pages, storytelling tools, events, and social features let you share your story and build real relationships with buyers. You also benefit from FarmToYou's shared marketing: digital reach across Google, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube; producer and product features across email and social; PR and media outreach; presence at markets, expos, and events; and partnerships with universities, food-systems groups, and creators. Early adopters get priority visibility. Learn more...


Money, time & support

FarmToYou is not a payment gateway or intermediary holding your money for 45–60 days. Payments go directly to your own account through your Stripe or Square account (or your preferred method for wholesale invoices). You set the terms that work for you and your customers. (Stripe and Square are free to set up, with no monthly fee and standard per-transaction processing rates.) Learn more about Stripe vs. Square...

Can I offer subscriptions or recurring orders?

Yes. FarmToYou supports subscription options and recurring billing, so you can offer things like subscription boxes, standing wholesale orders, or regular deliveries — and turn one-time buyers into repeat buyers.


Why should I trust FarmToYou?

FarmToYou was built with producers, by a producer. We designed the platform by listening to early producers about what they actually needed, and that's still our mission. Our pricing reflects our commitment: we only make money when you make money. No required startup fees, no cancellation fees, and you always keep control of your brand, products, pricing, customers, and payments.

Will FarmToYou save me time?

That's a primary goal. The Producer Portal lets you manage products, orders, storytelling, wholesale sourcing, promotions, and communications in one place — so you spend less time juggling outreach and follow-ups and more time producing.

What comes with the free Producer Portal?

  • Your own storefront/website and product listings

  • Direct-to-consumer sales and experiences

  • Wholesale (B2B) orders and invoicing

  • Subscriptions and recurring orders

  • Order management and communications

  • Events, promotions, and storytelling tools

  • Analytics and reporting

Setup help and training are also free — with real people on the helpdesk.


Can I get help setting up? I'm not tech-savvy.

Yes. Basic setup support and training are free. If you'd like us to take more off your plate, our optional Services run on a flexible, points-based model — you choose a monthly retainer level (or buy a bundle of points for a one-off project), and points go toward product listings, custom shop pages, wholesale support, content, promotions, pricing and profitability analysis, and other administrative help whenever you need it. Retainers are available in three tiers ($16–$20 per point) and can be adjusted, paused, or cancelled at any time. Unused points roll forward up to 6 months.


Selling, shipping & growing

How does FarmToYou help me grow wholesale?

FarmToYou is a place wholesale buyers come specifically to buy direct — restaurants, retailers, and institutions use our centralized tools to find real farms and food producers. They can submit sourcing requests ("RFPs"), which relevant producers respond to directly, reach you through the "contact the producer" option on your page, or send us an ingredient list so we can connect them with farms and food producers like yours. Our B2B system also lets buyers coordinate planning and harvest contracts in real time — bringing planning stability to both sides.


How does shipping work?

You've got flexibility. You can:

  • Use your own negotiated rates if you already have them.

  • Arrange pickup — for example, at a farmers market or your farmstand.

  • Use Shippo for parcel shipping, integrated automatically and available to every producer anytime. Shippo is a multi-carrier shipping platform (similar to Shopify Shipping, ShipStation, Pirate Ship, or EasyPost). You choose which carriers and shipping options you want to offer; at checkout, your customer picks the option they prefer from the ones you've selected.

For wholesale freight, just submit an inquiry through our help desk chat and FarmToYou will obtain competitive freight quotes for you within 24–48 hours. You and the buyer can work out which arrangement works best — one-time, recurring, or otherwise.

Do I have to stop using my existing sales channels?

No — that's your choice. Keep your existing clients and channels and add FarmToYou to streamline communication and reach new buyers. Because FarmToYou can act as your website, many farms find they can consolidate here and save on the cost of running a separate site.

How big does my operation need to be?

Any size. From very small producers to large operations, everyone is welcome. And if demand outpaces your supply, we offer guidance to help you scale.

What if I don't see something I need in my operation?

Reach out. Maybe it's a product category, maybe it's a feature or a way of selling you rely on — if there's something in your current operation you don't see obviously in FarmToYou, let us know. We're here to listen and we're committed to making improvements for our farms and food producers.

What region does FarmToYou serve?

FarmToYou is a national platform serving farms, food producers, and buyers across the United States.

Can I talk to a real person?

Yes. Use the chat box in the lower-right corner of the FarmToYou website if you have any questions about the platform, and we can set up a call when it helps.


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