Producer Home

Quick Links

Digital Producer How-To Guide

Once you’ve logged in, go to the “Products” tab, add new items by clicking on ‘Add Products to Sell’. You can choose from a list of pre-existing items or create a new item by clicking on the “Create a New Product” link.

Product Name: Listings should be in the format of “Crop, Varietal” (e.g. Eggplant, Italian or Tomatoes, Cherokee Purple).

Pricing Method: Leave as “Type A”

Base Unit: There are often multiple correct answers with this.  With most produce, it works well to sell either by the pound or bunch.

Unit Name: This should be in the format of the quantity of units per case.  Examples: “16 bunch case”, “15 lb. case”, etc. If you have questions about what the pack size should be for your item please contact us and we’ll let you know what the standard pack is!

Unit Price: Your price per case – it should be at least $25.

Multiplier: This is the number of base units per case.  The multiplier for a 16 bunch case of carrots would be 16. The multiplier for a 12 pint flat of cherry tomatoes is 12.

Sort Order: Leave as 99

UPC: Leave blank

Tagline: This is up to you – it can be more information like a varietal name, information about the size, or information about the growing practices.

Description: Also up to you – being clear and accurate is more important than using flowery language here.  A good example might be “average 2 inch diameter, crisp and firm, great snacking size.”

Picture:  Good pictures are really helpful. An overhead picture of a full case is great if possible, but not required.  For best quality, use indirect natural light (somewhere shady is great). To upload a new picture, click “Select Image” then “Upload a New Image to this Folder.” Select the image from your device that you want to use and click “Open.”  Click “Save” to save the image, then click “Select” to choose that image for the listing.

Click “Create Product” to finish the process.  New products need to be approved by an admin at the Food Hub. The fastest way to have this done is to call or text 707-467-3238. Then the product is ready to list
Next, list the number of base units you have for sale. If your base unit is a pound, and you have 30 lbs., enter “30.”  (The system will automatically divide this into a number of cases for sale.  This is a common mistake people make, often putting in the number of total cases for sale instead of the number of base units.  Food Hub staff monitors the website for any errors, so we can fix it if you make a mistake, and if you have questions, feel free to call us!).
Click “Update Availability” and now the product is listed for sale! Visit the online storefront by clicking on the icon of a person in the upper right hand corner to see if the listing appears correctly.

You are required to pack your produce in a CLEAN, sturdy produce box with a flat top. Remember that the boxes will be stacked, and your product may get bruised or crushed if not packed correctly. If products are rejected due to improper packaging such that the customer refuses the order, then we cannot pay you for that produce. Your box needs to be strong enough to be at the bottom of a stack of boxes and not collapse.

USED BOX POLICY:  Used produce boxes must be lined with a clean plastic liner. Used produce boxes must be handled and stored according to food safety practices outlined in the Approved Source Certification required from all growers.  Using the incorrect type of box, muddy, dirty, broken, or damaged boxes will result in your produce being rejected for sale by the Food Hub.

Labels

Make sure that the label is secure and legible.  The Food Hub website generates labels automatically which will print on stickers. To print labels:

Log in and click on Reports.

Select Detailed Labels, Large (Avery 5163), and click the box for Break out multiple quantities into separate labels.

Click Print Labels and be happy about how much time you saved handwriting labels! Avery 5163 is the size of label to purchase, and the stickers are available online or at many office supply stores.

If you hand write labels, boxes must be labeled with the customer name, product name, quantity, case count, farm name, and delivery date. For example:

Delicious Café
Strawberries
10 lbs
2 of 3 cases
A Berry Good Farmer (Organic Registration Number)
5/5/2018

Please make sure that the label is secure and legible.

How does the Food Hub markup work?
We charge our wholesale customers an extra 17-30% to cover the cost of sales and delivery, which keeps the Food Hub up and running. Many food hubs charge up to 30%, and we’re proud to be able to provide our services at a low cost to buyers. Farmers can currently use the service free of charge.

I’ve been selling to a restaurant down the road from me for the last 20 years. Do I have to start selling to them from through the Food Hub if I want to list my produce for sale to other customers?
No. We’re not here to replace long-standing relationships. The Food Hub is here to make life easier, getting you extra sales from new customers and saving you lots of time on delivery and transportation. This is all really just an elaborate carpooling scheme: If one farmer on the coast wants to sell two cases of kale to a restaurant in Lake County, the time and transportation costs are way too expensive to make it worthwhile. If we add several thousand dollars of other products to that same vehicle to deliver from several farms to many customers, it all becomes completely manageable. For your existing customers, you’re welcome to keep delivering to them if you want, or you can have us handle the delivery if you occasionally get too busy, or we’re happy to bring them on board!
The team at the Food Hub is here to support you as we work together to increase the availability of local produce in our community. We know farmers have their hands full growing beautiful, nutritious food. Let us help make it easier for you to get your product to market and into the hands of more customers.