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 will my order be delivered?
- Why Support The South Cumberland Food Hub?
- How can I sell through this market?
- How do I know if something is grown organically or not?
And here are some answers:
Are there membership fees?
At this time, we have no membership fees to use the South Cumberland Food Hub.
While membership to the CFM organization (which oversees the food hub) is not required to use the food hub, we depend on member support to carry out our mission of building our local food economy here on the mountain. Memberships to the CFM are available on the market page.
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 The South Cumberland Food Hub, 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. 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.
We do take orders by phone if your schedule or time restraints occasionally prevent you from using our online service. Call Risa at 931-……
When do I pay?
We accept cash or checks when we deliver 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 will my order be delivered?
We are in the process of building our delivery schedule based on the needs of our buyers. We are currently delivering on Tuesday afternoons between the hours of 3:30-5:00 pm.
If you need specific delivery times/days, please contact our coordinator- Risa Brown- at 931-….. or email her at:
rootedhere@locallygrown.net
Why Support The South Cumberland Food Hub?
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.
Consolidate your local ordering: The South Cumberland Food Hub will provide you with access to many of the area farmers in one place, with one transaction. This will save you valuable time and effort. Also, every product that you purchase thru the Food Hub will be covered with product liability insurance and will be grown with specific food safety protocols.
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: The South Cumberland Food Hub will provide member growers the means to help educate our community about the importance of sustainable agriculture. The Food Hub also offers support and education to the local farmers to help them grow their businesses and expand their production.
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. Like at a traditional farmers’ market, you do get to set your own prices and list your items as you wish. Contact Risa Brown at 615-653-3347….. or rootedhere@locallygrown.net if you want more information.
How do I know if something is grown organically or not?
Most products will tell you how they were grown in the short description underneath each product on the website. If this information is not there, you can go to the “Grower Page” and click on that specific grower’s information and find out how they produce their products. Many of our farmers grow organically, but due to costs, are not “certified” organic. Some of them have chosen to become “Certified Naturally Grown” (CNG), which is basically the same thing without the high cost.