Managing Products

How to Add Products to Your Market

Adding products to your market is simple and intuitive. Follow these step-by-step instructions to list your first products for sale.

Step-by-Step: Adding Your First Product

1. Navigate to the market page

   From your market's site (e.g., yourmarket.locallygrown.net), click "Shop Local" in the navigation bar to access the market page where products are displayed and customers shop.

2. Enable Edit Mode

   Look for the "Edit Mode" toggle switch in the bottom-right corner of the page. Click it to turn it ON.

   �� First Time? When you enable Edit Mode for the first time, you'll see an interactive tutorial that walks you through all the product management features. Take a few minutes to complete it!
3. Select a category and click "Add Product"

   This is the most important step! There is no general "Add Product" button visible until you select a category. You have two ways to add products to a category:

   📌 Important: If a category has subcategories, you cannot add products to it directly. You must select a subcategory (the "leaf" category at the end of the tree). For example, if "Vegetables" has subcategories like "Leafy Greens" and "Root Vegetables", you must click into one of those subcategories first.

   Method 1: Click into the category first

   1. In the left sidebar or category list, click on the category name where you want to add your product (e.g., "Vegetables", "Dairy", etc.)
   2. Once you're viewing that category's products, an "Add Product" button will appear near the top of the products area
   3. Click this button to open the product creation form

   Method 2: Use the category menu

   1. Find the category in the left sidebar where you want to add a product
   2. Right-click on the category name, OR click the three-dot icon (⋮) next to the category name
   3. Select "Add Product" from the menu that appears
   4. The product creation form will open for that category
   ⚠️ Critical: You will NOT see an "Add Product" button anywhere else. The button only appears when you're inside a category OR when you use the category menu. This is by design - products must be added to specific categories.
4. Fill in the product details

   Complete the product form with your product information:

   • Product Name: Clear, descriptive name (e.g., "Organic Red Bell Peppers")
   • Description: Include variety, growing methods, size, and serving suggestions
   • Price: Price per unit (e.g., $3.50 per pound)
   • Unit: How the product is packaged (e.g., "pound", "bunch", "dozen")
   • Quantity Available: How many units you have for sale
   • Category: Select the appropriate category from the dropdown
5. Upload a product photo (optional but recommended)

   Click the photo upload button and select a high-quality image of your product. Products with photos sell significantly better!

6. Set product options (optional)

   Configure additional settings like:

   • Cold Storage Required: Check if product needs refrigeration
   • Featured Product: Highlight this product on the homepage
   • Stop at Zero: Automatically disable when sold out
   • Wholesale Options: Enable bulk pricing if applicable
7. Click "Create Product"

   Review your information and click the "Create Product" button at the bottom of the form. Your product will be saved and immediately visible to customers!

8. Verify your product appears

   Your new product should now appear on the market page. You can toggle Edit Mode OFF to see how customers will view it, or leave it ON to add more products.

Quick Troubleshooting

Creating Great Product Listings

Now that you know how to add products, let's make sure your listings are compelling and effective.

Essential Product Information

• Product Name: Clear, descriptive name (e.g., "Organic Red Bell Peppers" not just "Peppers")
• Description: Include variety, growing methods, size, and serving suggestions
• Price: Set competitive prices that reflect quality and growing costs
• Unit Size: Clear packaging (1 lb bag, 6-count, bunch, etc.)
• Quantity Available: How many units you have for sale
• Category: Help customers find your products easily

Product Categories

Organize your products into logical categories:

• Vegetables: Fresh produce, root vegetables, leafy greens
• Fruits: Tree fruits, berries, melons
• Herbs: Culinary herbs, medicinal herbs
• Dairy: Milk, cheese, yogurt, butter
• Meat & Poultry: Beef, pork, chicken, eggs
• Baked Goods: Bread, pastries, preserves
• Prepared Foods: Ready-to-eat items
• Plants & Flowers: Seedlings, cut flowers, potted plants

Product Attributes and Options

LocallyGrown.net supports various product attributes to help you describe and manage your offerings.

Special Handling Flags

• Cold Storage Required: Products that need refrigeration
• Bouquet/Arrangement: For flowers and decorative items
• Live Plant: For seedlings, potted plants, trees
• Fragile/Special Care: Items requiring careful handling

Product Types

• Regular Products: Standard items available to all customers
• Wholesale Products: Bulk quantities for restaurants or resellers
• Featured Products: Highlighted items that appear prominently
• Seasonal Specials: Limited-time offerings

Pricing Options

• Fixed Pricing: Set price per unit
• Volume Discounts: Lower prices for larger quantities
• Market Surcharge: Additional fee per product if needed
• Wholesale Pricing: Separate pricing for bulk buyers

Inventory Management

Keep your inventory accurate to prevent overselling and disappointed customers.

Inventory Tracking Methods

• Exact Quantities: Set specific numbers available (12 heads of lettuce)
• Estimated Quantities: Approximate amounts for bulk items (20 lbs of tomatoes)
• Stop-at-Zero: Automatically disable product when sold out
• Manual Control: Turn products on/off as needed

Availability Management

1. Weekly Planning: Review what will be ready for harvest
2. Set Availability: Mark products as available early in ordering cycle
3. Monitor Orders: Watch sales throughout ordering window
4. Adjust Quantities: Increase or decrease based on harvest reality
5. Disable if Needed: Turn off products if harvest comes up short

Best Practices for Inventory

• Start with conservative quantities until you understand demand
• Check your listings daily during ordering windows
• Communicate early if you need to reduce quantities
• Keep a buffer for quality issues or harvest shortfalls
• Document what sells well for future planning

Product Photos and Presentation

High-quality photos significantly increase sales and customer satisfaction.

Photography Guidelines

• Natural Lighting: Take photos outdoors or near windows
• Clean Backgrounds: Use plain backgrounds that don't distract
• Multiple Angles: Show products from different perspectives
• Size Reference: Include hands or common objects for scale
• Packaging View: Show how products will be packaged
• Lifestyle Shots: Occasional photos showing products in use

Photo Requirements

• File Format: JPG or PNG files
• Size Limits: Maximum file size varies by market settings
• Resolution: High enough for clear viewing on mobile devices
• Orientation: Square or landscape orientation works best

Updating Photos

• Update photos seasonally to show current products
• Replace photos if product appearance changes significantly
• Add new photos when introducing product variations
• Remove photos for discontinued products

Product Descriptions and Marketing

Compelling descriptions help customers understand and connect with your products.

Writing Effective Descriptions

• Start with Benefits: What makes this product special?
• Include Variety Details: Specific cultivars, breeds, or types
• Mention Growing Methods: Organic, pasture-raised, heirloom, etc.
• Suggest Uses: Cooking methods, recipes, storage tips
• Share Your Story: Brief details about your farming practices

Description Examples

Seasonal Marketing

• Spring: Emphasize freshness, first harvests, spring cleaning
• Summer: Peak season, abundance, preservation, entertaining
• Fall: Harvest celebration, storage crops, comfort foods
• Winter: Greenhouse goods, preserved items, hearty meals

Managing Orders and Fulfillment

Once customers place orders, you'll need to prepare and deliver their products.

Order Review Process

1. Check Orders Daily: Monitor what's been ordered
2. Confirm Availability: Verify you can fulfill all orders
3. Communicate Changes: Contact customers about substitutions
4. Plan Harvest: Schedule picking based on orders
5. Prepare Products: Wash, package, and label as needed

Order Modifications

If your market allows grower order editing, you can:

• Adjust Quantities: Reduce if harvest comes up short
• Make Substitutions: Offer similar products with customer approval
• Add Notes: Communicate with customers about changes
• Remove Items: Delete products you can't fulfill

Packaging and Labeling

• Clear Labels: Customer name and product description
• Secure Packaging: Prevent damage during transport
• Temperature Control: Use coolers for perishable items
• Professional Appearance: Neat, clean presentation

Multi-Market Product Linking

If you sell in multiple LocallyGrown markets, the copy code feature helps you link products across markets to share inventory and simplify management.

What is a Copy Code?

Every product has a unique copy code that identifies it. This code lets you clone a product from one market to another, copying all its details (name, description, price, photos, etc.) so you don't have to re-enter everything.

Finding Your Product's Copy Code

1. Go to your market's product page
2. Enable edit mode (usually by clicking "Edit Products" or similar)
3. Look for the copy code displayed below the product's edit buttons
4. The code looks like this: 12345-67890

Cloning a Product to Another Market

Use this when you want to add the same product to a different market:

1. Copy the copy code from your original product
2. Log in to the other market where you want to add the product
3. Click "Add New Product" or similar
4. Look for the "Copy From Existing Product" field at the top of the form
5. Paste your copy code into this field
6. Choose whether to link inventory: The "Link inventory with original product" checkbox is checked by default. Keep it checked if you want both products to share the same inventory count (recommended for most growers). Uncheck it to create a completely independent copy.
7. Click "Clone Product"
8. The form will automatically fill with all the product details from your original product
9. Adjust the category if needed (products can be in different categories in different markets)
10. Click "Create Product" to save

How Shared Inventory Works

When you clone a product with "Link inventory" checked (the default), both products share the same inventory count:

• One Master Product: The original product becomes the "master" that controls inventory
• Linked Products: Cloned products automatically use the master's inventory count
• Shared Quantity: When someone orders from any linked product, the quantity decreases for all of them
• Centralized Updates: Change the quantity on the master product and all linked products update automatically

Linking Existing Products

If you already have products in multiple markets and want to link them after the fact, you can do so by editing the product:

1. Decide which product will be your "master" (usually your main market)
2. Get that master product's copy code
3. Go to the other market and edit the product you want to link
4. Find the "Master Product Code" field in the product edit form
5. Paste the master product's copy code and save

Benefits of Product Linking

• No Double-Selling: Prevents overselling when you have limited inventory across multiple markets
• Single Update Point: Change quantity once on the master product instead of updating each market separately
• Time Savings: Clone products instead of re-entering all details for each market
• Consistency: Keep product descriptions and photos consistent across all your markets
• Flexibility: You can still set different prices or categories per market if needed

Important Notes About Linked Products

• Quantity Control: Only the master product's quantity can be edited. Linked products show but cannot modify the quantity.
• Independence: Products can have different prices, categories, or availability status in different markets
• Unlinking: To unlink a product, simply clear the Master Product Code field and save
• Photos: Product photos are cloned initially but are not automatically synced. Update photos separately in each market if needed.
• Orders: Each market's orders remain separate - only the inventory count is shared

Advanced Product Features

Additional features to enhance your product management.

Grower's Notes

• Growing Methods: Share how you grow or produce your products
• Storage Tips: Help customers keep products fresh
• Allergen Warnings: Important safety information
• Serving Suggestions: Recipes, pairings, and preparation ideas

Recipe Integration

• Recipe Ingredients: Link products to recipes
• Suggested Recipes: Help customers use products
• Seasonal Menus: Promote what's currently available
• Preparation Tips: Storage and cooking advice

Product Performance Analysis

Track how your products are performing to make informed decisions.

Key Metrics to Monitor

• Sales Volume: Which products sell best?
• Customer Feedback: Reviews and repeat purchases
• Seasonal Trends: When do products sell well?
• Price Sensitivity: How does pricing affect sales?
• Inventory Turnover: How quickly do products sell?

Using Performance Data

• Adjust Production: Grow more of what sells well
• Optimize Pricing: Find the sweet spot for each product
• Improve Descriptions: Update listings that aren't performing
• Plan New Products: Introduce items similar to top sellers
• Seasonal Planning: Prepare for predictable demand cycles