What makes your Market different?

FRESH: Fresh produce in your order is picked no more than 48 hours prior to delivery.

LOCAL: Our growers are Wiregrass residents within 50 miles of Dothan. We do not sell anything that is trucked in from out of the area.

SUSTAINABLE: Market at Dothan DOES NOT ALLOW GMO’s, CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS, PESTICIDES OR HERBICIDES. Our vendors are carefully vetted on both their growing philosophy and practices. While most of our growers are too small to invest in organic certification, they DO use organic/sustainable methods to grow your food. You may learn more about each farm on our Grower page.

YEAR ROUND: You read it right. Because we don’t participate in truck farming, you can’t get fresh strawberries in September or corn in January. But, because our growers are super sharp and know what they’re doing, we are able to offer many products outside their traditional growing season.

We make no claims to be like other markets and invite you to check us out! You will find a wealth of information on our Home Page, the Market Page, the Grower Page and hopefully everything else here on the Q&A page. The
Weblog contains newsletters with a wealth of information. There are two Facebook pages for announcements and interaction.

If that’s not enough, just come by and visit us at the Dothan location one Friday morning and take a look for yourself! We would love to meet you!

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Will I have to buy vegetables I don't want?

While some of our vendors offer traditional CSA boxes, the bulk of our products are listed on an individual basis. This way you get to order what you want, in the quantities that you want, from the farms that you want. The weekly update provides current Market information, grower announcements, new and returning products, and helpful information. We encourage you to browse the Market every week as the products our farmers list constantly changes depending on what is in season and becomes available. You might just find your new favorite food!

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How do I order?

4 EASY CLICKS…HERE’S HOW:
Click #1: Add To Shopping Cart
Click #2: Proceed To Checkout
Click #3: Choose your “PICK UP LOCATION”
Click #4: Place This Order

Each Saturday at 5pm, an email is sent to all of our registered customers with a link to our website notifying that the site is ready for shopping! Orders are placed here on our website. This is our only method for ordering and is designed to reduce the amount of time it takes you to shop and for us to process orders.

Customers have 72 hours to place their order. Shopping closes Tuesday at 5pm.

VIP to make sure your order was placed by checking your email for an order confirmation! WARNING – If you neglect to specify a location you will not receive an email confirmation and your order will disappear into cyberspace! Always check to be sure you receive an email confirmation! We hate it when people show up to get orders that did not go through!

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Payment and Pickup Specifics

I. Order Payment:
1. Voluntarily prepay by 6 pm Thursday if possible using this PAYPAL link. We also accept Cash App (MarketAtDothan). This eliminates passing paper currency back and forth or handling debit/credit cards on site. Your invoice will be marked PAID and pickup is fast and easy. In the event of undelivered items you will be issued a Market credit that will apply to your next order. We also accept Cashapp Payments to Market At Dothan.

2. Debit/Credit – One of us will briefly step within 6 feet for you to put your card in the chip reader. We do our best to avoid touching your card or you touching the equipment which means we sign an “x” for your signature.

3. Cash and Checks – You may hand them to us. Exact change is preferred if using cash. If you choose curbside pickup you are welcome to put payment in your trunk/tailgate as that would eliminate the need to come near your window.

II. Order Delivery:
1. Curb Service: Please pull up next to the Market Shed. We will direct traffic if necessary. Have your trunk/ hatchback open and we’ll load you up!

2. Walk Up Pickup: Please do not come inside. When we see you coming we’ll put your order near the entrance and step back for you to claim it. This system works really well for those wishing to get extra produce that may be available.

3. Enterprise Deliverys require a $50 minimum order.

4. Regardless of how you choose to accept your Market order please know that we make every effort to practice safe distancing and ask that you do the same.

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When and Where do I pick up my order?

DOTHAN: 10am – 11:30am at
Dothan Nurseries,
1300 Montgomery Hwy,
Dothan, AL.

ENTERPRISE: 12:30pm – 1:00PM
Parking Lot of Grocery Advantage, 1032 Boll Weevil Circle, Enterprise, AL.
Phone Number: 334-790-2087. $50 minimum order required.

If you would like CURB SERVICE at our Dothan location pull up close to the Market Shed with your trunk/ hatchback open. If you’ve prepaid we’ll place your things in the back so all you have to do is close the vehicle and drive away. If you’ve not prepaid please have your debit/credit card ready or the correct cash or check prepared.

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Why is Local Important?

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.

Increasing scientific evidence supports that foods grown in your area are better for you.

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How can I sell through this market?

1. Create a customer account
2. Click “JOIN THIS MARKET” on the Grower tab
3. We will send info and forms to fill out
4. Return filled out pages and appropriate documentation to marketatdothan@gmail.com
5. You will be notified when your grower account goes live and will receive information to assist with navigating the website.

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Are there minimum orders?

There are no minimum number of orders or minimum amounts required of any orders you place. You order when you want and order how much you want.

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I forgot to pick up my order! Now what?

We will leave your NON-perishable order inside at Dothan Nurseries until 5 pm Day of Delivery. We will call the number you provide to remind you to pick up by 5 pm day of delivery. If order is not picked up, your order will be donated. We do not have capacity to keep items. Since growers harvest just for you, you are STILL RESPONSIBLE for paying for items even if you do not pick them up. We will charge your account and that amount will be invoiced to you via Square.

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Please explain Sustainable Agriculture

Market at Dothan rejoices to offer the healthiest organically raised food in the Wiregrass. We lean toward using the word “sustainable” to describe our philosophy and growing practices because organic products can be (unsustainably) produced on large industrial farms, and farms that are not certified organic can produce wholesome, equally healthy food using methods that will sustain the farm’s productivity for generations.

In simplest terms, sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fiber, or other plant or animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare. This form of agriculture enables us to produce healthful food without compromising future generations’ ability to do the same.

The primary benefits of sustainable agriculture are:

Environmental Preservation
Sustainable farms produce crops and raise animals without relying on toxic chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified seeds,or practices that degrade soil, water, or other natural resources. By growing a variety of plants and using techniques such as crop rotation, conservation tillage, and pasture-based livestock husbandry, sustainable farms protect biodiversity and foster the development and maintenance of healthy ecosystems.

Protection of Public Health
Food production should never come at the expense of human health. Since sustainable crop farms avoid hazardous pesticides, they’re able to grow fruits and vegetables that are safer for consumers, workers, and surrounding communities. Likewise, sustainable livestock farmers and ranchers raise animals without dangerous practices like use of nontherapeutic antibiotics or arsenic-based growth promoters. Through careful, responsible management of livestock waste, sustainable farmers also protect humans from exposure to pathogens, toxins, and other hazardous pollutants.

Sustaining Vibrant Communities
A critical component of sustainable agriculture is its ability to remain economically viable, providing farmers, farmworkers, food processors, and others employed in the food system with a livable wage and safe, fair working conditions. Sustainable farms also bolster local and regional economies, creating good jobs and building strong communities.

Upholding Animal Welfare
Sustainable farmers and ranchers treat animals with care and respect, implementing livestock husbandry practices that protect animals’ health and well being. By raising livestock on pasture, these farmers enable their animals to move freely, engage in instinctive behaviors, consume a natural diet, and avoid the stress and illness associated with confinement.

adapted from sustainabletable.org

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Are there any fees to join?

Yes. New customers will receive one courtesy order before being charged an annual participation fee of $15.00. The website will automatically generate this and bill it annually.

By placing this 2nd order the customer agrees to all terms and conditions for customers on this page including being liable for payment of orders that are not picked up.

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I'm In! How do I get started!

Use the far right tab on this site to create a customer account. That puts you on the mailing list to receive newsletter notifications when Market at Dothan opens for orders on Saturday. It’s that simple!

The rest is up to you!

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Our BAG Policy

We are a GREEN Market and make every effort to reduce our carbon footprint. We encourage you to provide the market with a minimum of 2 reusable bags to rotate between orders for our Dothan customers and we recommend 3 for our Daleville and Enterprise customers. Your name will be placed on them for your use only. Bags are usually available for purchase from the Market for your convenience.

We currently use a supply of donated plastic bags used for customers who do not provide their own bags. Should the Market ever have to supply them the cost will be passed on to those orders that require disposable bags.

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How Often Can I Order?

As often as you wish, though we do reserve the right to consolidate multiple orders in a given week. You will be notified if this happens.

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Why are there 0 of some categories on the Market page??

Obviously because there are 0 of those items! The back story is that there once were! We have a rich history involving many wonderful farms with wonderful people and some of them are no longer with the Market.

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Why doesn't the Shopping Cart work?

There are two reasons:

1) You are not signed in.
2) The Market is closed for orders.

In the event the Market is closed, you may check the most frequent Weblog (our weekly newsletter) for particulars and when we’ll be open again. We normally break three times a year for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Fourth of July.

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Why Are You Open in a Pandemic?

1. The President has directed that food supply systems stay in place.
2. Our farmers and vendors supply high quality food that people need to stay in optimum health.
3. Our farmers and vendors were following safe food handling practices before covid-19.
4. Our pick up procedures ensure both sanitation and safe distance.

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Recycle Policy

YES! YES! YES! Many of your purchases come in containers that can be recycled. Some even have labels asking that you return them! Besides keeping things out of the landfill this helps us keep prices in check. We are glad to take any clean egg cartons, food containers, glass jars and large paper bags that can be used again and again.

Thank you for your green efforts!

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Order Pick Up Policy

“ALL CUSTOMERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT OF ORDERS PLACED!”

This statement is in almost every email you receive from us. Why?

When you place an order with Market at Dothan our people go to work for you. Farmers pick vegetables, bakers bake, artisans makes things, some even butcher livestock. Each vendor goes to work based on what you asked for.

Lastly the Market fronts the money and pays the farmers for the items you requested. Defaulting on a Market order is very much like walking out of a restaurant without paying for the meal you just ate. Someone has to pay. The Market both loses the money paid to the farmers and has to dispose of your products. Unsaleable items must be thrown out. Even if returned to the growers and producers, the time and effort they invested in filling your order cannot be recovered. In addition the Market pays a software fee for every order placed.

So your order costs us, and on the rare occasion someone defaults on an order, we never fully recoup that loss.

We don’t believe in doing that to people and hope you don’t either.

That being said, we are not hard-nosed when customers contact us about an error on an order or some circumstance preventing them from picking up. Our vendors understand if something has to be cancelled BEFORE FRIDAY because of hospitalization, a family emergency or such.

So payment is expected for ALL orders. If you don’t show up to pick up yours you will receive an invoice at the address on file and can’t participate in the Market until it is paid. If you have questions about your order reach out to us before Friday and we will work with you.

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Where's the sales tax on my invoice?

The short answer is that it’s not printed on your invoice. It is however listed in your order confirmation email.

Why is this? It may have something to do with the locallygrown.net platform being developed in a different state with different tax laws than Alabama has. Regardless we’ve asked the developer to address the issue.

While we would love not to collect sales tax altogether like other farmer’s markets, the laws of this state are currently not configured to accommodate our unique business model. Feel free to ask your senators and representatives to consider eliminating sales tax on all food items like many states do.

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I thought you were open every week.

Traditionally we take time out midsummer for Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas. But we do sometimes utilize the option of spacing order cycles further apart when crop availability is an issue. Late summer is one example as summer crops are finished and it’s too early for fall crops. Doing this gives our growers more time to invest in growing yummy food for our customers.

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Links To Public Documents:

6/24/2023 This is a relatively new feature for M@D that we will add to as need arises

Sourdough Instructions: http://MarketAtDothan.locallygrown.net/files/document/document/6751/original/Kathy_Stewart_Sourdough.pdf

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What if there's a problem with my order?

TELL US! We believe that customer complaints are a gift as they force us to look at things from a different perspective so we can try to do better. Communication is key and our vendors are more than happy to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution with you.

You may contact us by email at marketatdothan@gmail.com or by text to 205 774 1932. Please provide your name, order date, photos if possible and description of the problem.

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