Sell Your Locally Grown and Produced Products on the Food Hub

Benefits to selling on Food Hub

  • Reach: Expand your customer base across Whidbey Island effortlessly.

  • Convenience: Enjoy a single weekly pick sheet and drop-off point, where Food Hub employees aggregate, pack, and distribute orders for you.

  • User-friendly: Easily manage your products and inventory, set your prices, and showcase your business information to customers through an intuitive online interface.

  • Flexibility: Take advantage of built-in market access; sell your products on the online marketplace whenever you're ready. If you need a break, simply skip a week and return to the same customer base the following week.

  • Support: Join us in efforts to expand local agriculture markets, boost demand for local food, and contribute to a healthier, more resilient community.

  • Ownership: As a cooperative member, be an owner-investor in a local distribution network.

How it works:

  • Producers manage their own accounts on our marketplace software, Local Food Marketplace. Each week producers post available products and specify the dollar amount they want to receive for each item, and the order period in which the products will be sold.

  • Buyers will see a price that includes a mark-up applied to the amount the producer chooses. The producer receives the price they list, and the mark-up will cover the bare bones of software costs, credit card processing fees, staff, and gas. Information about mark-ups can be found HERE.

  • We currently offer two order periods - one for Wholesale buyers like markets and restaurants, and one for both Retail/Direct to Consumer customers and Wholesale Buyers.

    • The RETAIL FRIDAY order period is open for customers Friday at noon - Tuesday at 9pm. Producer orders are dropped off on Thursday or Friday morning, and distributed to both wholesale and retail household customers.

    • The WHOLESALE WEDNESDAY order period is open for customers Friday at 9AM - Monday at Noon. Producer orders are dropped off on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning. READ OUR WHOLESALE WEDNESDAY PRODUCER GUIDE HERE.

  • A pick list is generated for each respective order period for producers to fulfill orders. Your products should be packaged, labeled, and ready for the customer as coordinated with the Market Manager.

  • Aggregation sites for order drop off include: Oak Harbor, Ebey Road Farm in Coupeville, Mutiny Bay Blues Farmstand in Freeland, and the WIGC Warehouse in Langley.

  • After all products are aggregated at the WIGC Warehouse, each order is hand packed and then distributed to customers. WIGC handles billing and provides weekly payments to producers.

Ready to join? Follow the steps below to get started.

Steps to Sell on the WIGC Food Hub

STEP 1 Read the The WIGC Food Hub Manual  and the WIGC Membership Guide to learn about our mission, goals, and program rules.

STEP 2  See our Local Food Marketplace website to get an idea of what customers read and how they shop: https://whidbeyislandgrown.localfoodmarketplace.com/

STEP 3 Click APPLICATION and provide basic background information, or contact Shannon at foodhub@whidbeyislandgrown.com.

STEP 4 The Market Manager will reach out to you with any further questions before presenting your application to the board for review and approval.

STEP 5  Once approved, You will receive an email from the Market Manager to set up a time to get trained in using the LFM marketplace. Training over Zoom takes approximately 45 minutes.

STEP 6  Provide the documents listed below to the Market Manager.

STEP 7 Start Selling!

Required documents for producers:

  • Copy of your Business License

  • Liability Insurance ($1,000,000/$2,000,000) with Whidbey Island Grown Cooperative named as Certificate Holder

  • Any other relevant permits and/or licenses such as egg license, organic certification, etc.

  • Print, sign, and return a W-9 form for the current year

  • Provide a Direct Deposit Form

  • Signed Sellers Commitment Form  

  • Logo and two farm pictures emailed to Food Hub Manager at: foodhub@whidbeyislandgrown.com

More WIGC Services For Producers

Transport Services

WIGC’s refrigerated vehicles travel up and down the island Tues-Fri, and travel to Puget Sound Food Hub on Tuesday morning.

Use our route to backhaul product and/or deliver your orders both on and off-island.

Transport Services Rates Here - contact us to set up service: info@whidbeyislandgrown.com.

Storage Facilities

WIGC offers freezer, cold, and dry storage rental at two facilities on the island.

Store your winter squash; increase your value added production; order in bulk ingredients; use as overflow storage.

Visit Here for rate sheet and storage info.

Wholesale Development

WIGC is expanding its wholesale program with grant funded development that includes customer and producer support, business development, and pricing/packaging assistance.

Visit Here or reach out to our team to learn how to sell into our wholesale order period.

FAQ for Food Hub Vendors

  • The Food Hub is considered a third party distributor. Producers can sell on the Hub if they have permits/licenses to sell through third parties. Examples of licenses include WSDA Processors License, WSDA Commercial Kitchen/Commissary License, Egg License.

    Producers are not eligible to sell on the Food Hub if they have direct to consumer ONLY licenses/permits, such as a Cottage Kitchen License.

  • WIGC direct deposits producer payments the Friday following distribution.

  • It happens! Because all the Food Hub products are pre-ordered, occasionally the products aren’t available at the time of distribution.

    Let the Market Manager know as soon as you are aware of the problem, and we will credit the customer and/or find substitute products from other producers if appropriate.

  • Customer complaints are always communicated to the producer, and the producer has the option to decide how they want to handle the complaint, with support from the Market Manager

Sign up to Sell Today!

Apply Now