Lulus Local Food Software provides an online marketplace that connects small farms directly to customers. Their innovative software allows farmers to set their own prices, control inventory, and reach new markets. It started in 2008 with a local hub and has since grown to support over 20 farms. The software gives farmers control over sales while providing customers transparency about product origins and descriptions from the farmers.

2. Lulus Local Food Software
Connecting Producers to Retail Consumers
• Provides CSAs and small farms online sales
straight from the farm with no initial
investment
• Innovative software that is user friendly
and puts the farmer in control of the
marketplace
• Farmers set their own prices allowing for
maximum returns
• Product descriptions are posted by the
farmer to give transparency to the
customer
• Products sold are inventoried and traceable
back to the farm of origin
• Well suited to reaching food deserts and
underserved areas

3. Our Roots
• In October 2008, seasonal farmers markets were closing, but farmers
still had fall crops to sell
• First hub was in November 2008 and ran weekly sales through email
orders
• In 2009 we developed the first software program to manage our
orders and better serve customers
• Lulus software was designed to provide access to the market and
inventory control

5. Lulus Local Food provides an innovative solution
for direct market sales:
• Innovative ecommerce solution
• In-depth financial reporting
• Secure, expandable cloud environment
• Multiple payment options
• High value enhancements and professional system support

6. Lulus software provides infrastructure for:
• Small family farms
• CSAs
• Farmers markets
• Hubs
• Local food entrepreneurs
• Community Food Councils

7. How Farms and CSAs Use Lulus
• Online sales and marketing tool
• Website, blog, and shopping cart
• Advanced payment processing and data collection
• Market farm through blog posting, news, recipes, and events
• Easily control and analyze inventory and sales data
• Mitigate seasonality of farmers market sales
• Set their own retail price
• Improve margins to grow their business
• Expand geographic reach to new markets and customers
• Increase sales and exposure through joining hubs
• Maintain one inventory list

8. How Hubs Use Lulus
• Create an online marketplace
• Develop a network of producers and customers
• Customize sales cycles
• Manage financial data including sales tax and payments
• Map delivery locations and manage volunteers
• Market farms products

9. Access to the market using Lulus Software
Avery’s Branch Farms, Amelia, VA
Bees Knees Farm, West Point, VA
Brookview Farm, Manakin Sabot, VA
ChiknEGG MarketPlace, Goochland, VA
Coastal Farms, Isle of Wight, VA
Elim Springs Farm, Amelia, VA
Fall Line Farms, Richmond, VA
Good Health Herbs, Midlothian, VA
Hobby Hill Farm, Powhatan, VA
Local Roots Food Co-op, Goochland, VA
Old Church Creamery, Manquin, VA
Rocky Fork Food Hub, Red Lodge, MT
Shenandoah Local Foods, Troutville, VA
Southern Legacy Food Co-op, Dinwiddie, VA
Thistledowne Farm, Farmville, VA
Truly Scrumptious Local Meals, Richmond, VA

12. Inventory Control

15. 20
100
50
500
100
3000
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Farms Customers
First Hub Growth
2008 2009 2016

17. Overview
• Innovative software that is user friendly and puts the farmer in
control of the marketplace
• Farmers set their own prices and determine their own competitive
advantage
• Products sold are inventoried and traceable back to the farm of
origin, there are no substitutions
• Product descriptions are clear and lengthy, posted by the farmer to
give accurate transparency to the customer
• The margins are allocated to the producer allowing for maximum
return