If you have questions, we have answers!
If you have a question that’s not answered here, please contact Elian at elian@clemsonareafoodexchange.com or 864-372-9004. For routine questions, email is preferred over a phone call.
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 and where do I pick up my order?
- Why support the CAFE?
- How can I sell through this market?
And here are some answers:
Are there membership fees?
To help us provide educational programs, and to help us with our overhead costs, we ask that you pay an annual fee of $20 per household for one calendar year. You are welcome to try us for 2 orders before officially becoming members. The membership fee will be automatically added to your 3rd order.
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, 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?
By Friday evening at 9 PM the growers have updated their availability. The market is “turned on” for shopping. Usually members will receive a market update via email about that time. Orders must placed for the week between 9 PM Friday night and noon on Monday. Orders can be placed here on our website.
Ordering through this web site is our method of choice 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.
When do I pay?
We accept payment through PayPal ( www.paypal.com) or Wingcash (www.wingcash.com). Links will be sent in your order confirmation email. If this is a problem or if you have questions, please email Elian.
When and where do I pick up my order?
We meet Tuesdays for picking up orders. We have three locations. Please choose your pick-up when checking out.
-Clemson: Tuesdays from 3:30-6 pm at The Arts Center. It is off of highway 93 at 212 Butler Road. Click here for a map.
-Liberty: Tuesdays from 7-8:30 pm at 322 Summit Drive (across from Liberty High School). Click here for a map.
-Seneca: Tuesdays from 5-6:30 pm at Oconee Medical Center. They are located at 298 Memorial Drive. Park near and enter through Outpatient Entrance. Click here for a map (pdf).
Why support the CAFE?
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.
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. We do charge an annual fee of $20 (which we can deduct from your sales) as well as 17% of your overall sales as a “table fee”. Like at a traditional farmers’ market, you do get to set your own prices and list your items as you wish. Contact Lance at lance@clemsonareafoodexchange.com or 864-650-4908 if you want more information.
If you don’t already have a customer account, go to the Sign In page and register. Then you can follow the instructions above.