Your First Order

Before You Start: What You Need to Know

Understanding How It Works

LocallyGrown works differently than grocery shopping. Here's the basic flow:

1. Market opens (for example, Monday morning) and you can start ordering
2. You place your order anytime during the ordering window (for example, Monday through Wednesday)
3. Market closes (for example, Wednesday evening) and orders are locked
4. Farmers harvest and prepare your order fresh (Thursday-Friday)
5. You pick up your order at a designated location and time (Saturday morning)

What You'll Need

• An account: You'll need to create one (takes 2 minutes)
• Payment method: Credit or debit card
• Pickup information: Know when and where to pick up
• Time: 10-20 minutes to browse and order (first time is slower as you explore!)

Step 1: Create Your Account

If you don't already have an account, here's how to set one up:

1. Find the "Sign Up" or "Create Account" button
   • Usually in the top right corner of the website
   • Or in the main navigation menu
2. Fill out the registration form:
   • Name: Your first and last name
   • Email: Where you'll receive order confirmations
   • Password: Create a secure password you'll remember
   • Phone: Optional but helpful for pickup communication
3. Verify your email
   • Check your email for a verification link
   • Click the link to confirm your account
   • Check spam folder if you don't see it
4. You're ready! Log in with your new account

Step 2: Browse Products

Now the fun part—exploring what's available from local farmers!

Finding Products

Most markets organize products in a few different ways:

Understanding Product Listings

Each product will show you important information:

• Product name: What it is (e.g., "Sungold Cherry Tomatoes")
• Grower/Producer: Who grew or made it
• Description: Details about variety, growing method, how to use it
• Price and unit: How much and what you're buying (e.g., "$6 per pound")
• Photo: What the product looks like
• Availability: Whether it's in stock

Tips for First-Time Browsing

Step 3: Add Items to Your Cart

Found something you want? Here's how to add it to your order:

1. Select quantity
   • Choose how many you want using the quantity selector (most items start at 1)
   • Some items have minimum or maximum quantities
2. Click "Add to Basket" button
   • The button appears next to each product when the market is open
   • You'll see a confirmation (item added!)
   • Your cart total will update
   • You can keep shopping or view cart
3. Continue shopping
   • Click "← Continue Shopping" link if you're in the cart
   • Add more items as you browse
   • You can always adjust quantities later
   • Cart is saved if you need to leave and come back

Managing Your Cart

You can view and edit your cart at any time:

• View cart: Click the cart icon (usually top right corner) or the "View Cart" link
• Change quantities: Use the quantity input box (labeled "Qty:") to update numbers
• Remove items: Click the "Remove" button next to any item you don't want
• Add notes: Click "Add a note to this item" to include special instructions for growers
• See your total: Cart shows your items summary with running total

Step 4: Review Your Order

Before checking out, take a moment to review:

Review Checklist

Understanding Pricing

Your final total may include:

• Product costs: What you're paying farmers for their products
• Market fees (if applicable): Small percentage to support market operations
• Payment processing: Credit card processing fees (if passed to customers)
• Delivery fees (if applicable): Some markets charge for delivery vs. pickup

All fees should be clearly explained at checkout.

Step 5: Checkout

Ready to complete your order? Here's the checkout process:

1. Review your cart page
   • You'll see "Your Items" section with all products
   • Check the "Order Summary" section for totals
2. Select pickup location:
   • Find the "Pickup Location" dropdown
   • Choose your preferred pickup location if multiple are available
3. Add order notes (optional):
   • Look for "Special Notes for Your Order" field
   • Placeholder reads: "Need something special? Let the market team know here..."
   • Use this for any special instructions
4. Choose payment method:
   • In the "Payment Method" section, choose between:
   • "Pay Now" - Enter credit card and pay when growers pack your order
   • "Pay Later" - Pay at pickup or have funds deducted from your account balance
5. Enter payment information (if Pay Now):
   • Credit or debit card number
   • Expiration date and security code
   • Billing zip code
   • Or click "Use saved card" if you have a card on file
6. Review final total
   • Check the "Order Summary" section
   • Verify all fees and totals
   • Confirm pickup location is correct
7. Place your order!
   • Click the submit button at the bottom of the page
   • You'll see an order confirmation screen
   • Your card will be charged when growers pack your order

What Happens Next

After placing your order:

• You'll receive a confirmation email
  • Order number and details
  • Pickup time and location
  • What you ordered and from whom
  • Total amount (payment will be processed at pickup)
• Payment is pending until pickup
  • Your order is confirmed but payment will be processed when you pick up
  • You'll see the charge on your card after pickup is complete
• Farmers are notified
  • They see your order and will prepare it fresh
• You'll get pickup reminders
  • Many markets send reminder emails closer to pickup day

After You Order: What to Expect

Timeline Overview

Here's a typical timeline (your market's schedule may vary):

Common First-Order Questions

Tips for a Great First Experience