FAQ

Q: How does Farm Courier work?

A: Farm Courier is a new concept in local food distribution that makes special use of recent advances in E-commerce technology. With the use of The Online Marketplace & free assistance from Farm Courier, sellers (local farmers, bakers, chefs etc) can list items that they have for sale and set their own price for those items.
Members of the Local Buyers Club (a free club operated in conjunction with Farm Courier) may browse the listings on farmcourier.com, select what they want, and order their purchases online with a credit card. Online payment funds are deposited in the Local Buyers Club account where they are used to complete the sale transaction "on-location" by way of a check written to the seller from the Local Buyers Club account upon pickup of the filled orders. The Local Buyers Club account funds are also used to pay Farm Courier for its courier services in the amount indicated on the customer's order for "shipping". The funds are handled for no fee by the Local Buyers Club and all transactions are directed by the customer's order information gathered on farmcourier.com in the online ordering process. All transactions are accounted for with invoices. Through the use of this model, Farm Courier and The Local Buyers Club create a virtually seamless direct-sale between the seller and the customer.

Farm Courier does not ever buy or sell any products, rather it works to facilitate the transaction between the seller and the buyer. It is up to the buyer alone to determine and evaluate the safety, quality and suitability of each product that they purchase on farmcourier.com. Please refer to the Local Buyers Club Membership for further information.
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Q: Who can use Farm Courier?

A: Farm Courier was designed to assist those persons or establishments who wish to buy locally produced/grown groceries but who do not have the time or mobility to access the Farmers Market, Farm Stands or on-Farm Sales in a capacity that meets their needs. Seniors, new moms, busy families or persons with mobility issues may find the Farm Courier and Local Buyers Club services to be very helpful in assisting them to access local products. To purchase products on Farm Courier you must agree to the Farm Courier terms of use and the Local Buyers Club Membership Agreement and thereby become a member of the Local Buyers Club. Please see our Store Policy Page for detailed information on the Terms of Use and the Local Buyers Club Membership Agreement.


Q:How do I buy products on farmcourier.com?

A: Its fast and simple! To buy products on farmcourier.com, you must first fill out a customer registration form and indicate on that form that you have read and agreed to the Terms of Use as well as the Membership Agreement of the Local Buyers Club. You must be a member of the Local Buyers Club (free and easy!) to purchase products on farmcourier.com. Alcohol purchases require age verification which should be submitted by fax (copy of your driver's license) to our fax number: 206-842-6398.

Once you have completed the registration steps you can browse The Online Market (on the left-hand sidebar of the website) and add products to your cart as you choose, just like an online store. At checkout, pay for your order with a credit card and indicate which day (Tuesday or Thursday) you would like to receive your order. The Local Buyers Club will use your online payment to (1) Purchase your chosen products for you on the morning of your selected delivery day and (2) Pay Farm Courier for its courier services. You will receive an email confirmation of your order.

Q: How do I receive my Farm Courier delivery?

A: On the checkout page, indicate which day you would like to receive your order, Tuesday or Thursday. On your chosen delivery day, Farm Courier will pick up your orders in the morning from the sellers and deliver them to your home or business with a copy of your paid invoices between the hours of 12:00pm-6:00pm. Downtown restaurant deliveries are scheduled between 12pm-3pm. If needed a closer estimate of delivery time can be given by contacting Farm Courier.

All deliveries (except oversize items) come in sturdy, re-useable coolers that are only slightly larger than a grocery bag and are outfitted with a single sturdy handle for easy carrying. Flowers are delivered in 8 qt. re-useable galvanized buckets. All of these materials will be picked up from the delivery site (or secure site that you indicate) on the morning following delivery, starting at 9am. Farm Courier also offers re-useable shopping bags as its "Gift-Wrap" option, and these do not need to be returned. A fee of $5.00 per day will be assessed on each cooler or bucket not made available for retrieval by 9am on the morning following delivery.

Q: What if I am not satisfied with my order?

A: All sellers offer a money back guarantee on their products. Farm Courier guarantees its services, not the products it transports. Please refer to our Store Policy for detailed information regarding returns and refunds.

Q: How can I view the status of my order?

A: Go to the Customer Service, Account Information page. This page lists all your orders. Click the date of the order whose status you wish to view.

Q: What does Farm Courier charge for its courier services?

A: You can view an estimate of shipping (courier) costs by viewing your cart and entering your zip code (which must be 98110).

Rates for Courier Services for purchases on FarmCourier.com:

• Value up to $100.00 = 25% of the value of your order
• Value of $100.00-$200.00 = 20% of the value of your order
• Value over $200.00 = 15% of the value of your order

• Value of weekly CSA subscription less than $45.00 = $5.00 flat rate
• Value of weekly CSA subscription more than $45.00 = 15% of the value of your weekly CSA subscription

• All Order Values = 15% of Value

• All Fresh Produce, including fruits, veggies, herbs, grains and legumes sold as such on Farm Courier is grown on Bainbridge Island or Kitsap County. Our climate is ideal for growing fresh produce (almost year round!) and due to the heavy water content of produce and the importance of its freshness, we believe its one of the best and most efficient products to produce from our local soils.
  
• All prepared meals, processed food products, baked goods, preserves, etc (foods that have been prepared or processed in some way) are created on Bainbridge Island or in Kitsap County, and may incorporate products that are not grown or produced in Kitsap County. You know that if you're eating a delicious ready to eat meal or pastry and you bought it on farmcourier.com, it was prepared by someone who is a part of your community.
  
• Dairy and meats come primarily from Bainbridge Island and Kistap County. Due to the current shortage of such products in Kistap County, some of these products may come from small farms ranging around Western Washington, especially those on the Olympic Peninsula. As production of meats and dairy increases on the island, we may want to reduce our dependence on outlying sources.
  
• As the Puget Sound is currently facing shortages of seafood harvests due to many reasons, seafoods listed on farmcourier.com will be harvested from the Puget Sound as well as the greater Northwest, including Southeast Alaska and the Washington and Oregon Coasts. Farm Courier seeks out seafood sellers that offer a direct relationship to the fishermen and the processors so that buyers may educate themselves on the source of their product. Despite the state of the world's fisheries, The Northwest's wild fisheries are widely regarded as some of the most sustainable in the world.
  
• Fresh Flowers offered on farmcourier.com are grown on Bainbridge Island or in Kitsap County.
  
• Farm products such as wool, yarn, beeswax, and the like are produced on Bainbridge Island or in Kitsap County.

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