Using Veggie Trader is free and easy. It works like classified advertising. You post a listing describing the excess produce you have and what you'd like in return, and then you wait for a response...
Or, if you're looking for local produce, you simply enter your zipcode and see what your neighbors have available. You can also post specific produce you’re looking for in our Wanted section and see which of your neighbors answers your request.
Get started by following these four steps:
1) Join the Community
Registering on Veggie Trader is quick, absolutely free, and the first thing you need to do to get started. Registering allows you to post and manage your listings, browse listings, and contact other registered Veggie Traders anonymously until you're ready to make a trade, sale or purchase. The information you give us when registering is private, and we don’t sell your information to outsiders (view our Privacy Policy for details). |
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2) Browse or Post Listings
Once registered, you can view produce available near you by clicking the Search Listings button and then entering your zip code in our search bar:
To make browsing for what you want easier, listings are broken down into basic categories (vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, etc.), but you can also use a text search to quickly find specific items you're looking for, as in the example search above.
Hit the Post Listings button to post for free produce you have available for trade or sale. Choose the category (vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, etc.) that best suits what you have to offer and enter your zip code. If you have both fruits and vegetables to offer, we recommend duplicating your post in both applicable sections in order to give your listing the best possible exposure. Don't forget to talk about what you're looking for in your posting!
» Click here for more posting tips.
3) Close the deal
Always use common sense when completing transactions with people you meet through Veggie Trader. Until you get to personally know other Veggie Traders in your neighborhood, we recommend meeting in public places to swap, sell, or buy produce. If you ever have a negative experience, please report it to us.
4) Read below for rules, legal stuff, and other things you should know
Buying, selling, and trading homegrown produce, extra seeds, and plants is a great idea, but there are a few rules and other things you need to know before you get started:
Licenses: Some states, regions, and localities require a license or permit before you can sell or trade your excess homegrown produce, seeds, or plants. Others
have no such requirements. Please check
with your local authorities and your state to be certain you are in
compliance with state and local laws before using Veggie Trader.
This is your responsibility. Veggie Trader
makes no claims regarding any required permits, licenses or regulatory compliance by a buyer, trader
or seller. Each party is responsible for complying with the regulations that apply to them.
Taxes: Trading across state lines may subject you to state taxes. Also, many states include sales tax for trades equal to the market value of what the produce is worth. Veggie Trader makes no claims regarding any taxes individual buyers and sellers may be responsible for. Please check with your local authorities to determine if you are subject to taxes on trades or sales.
Quarantine zones: Also, check with your state’s Department of Agriculture to be certain you are observant of any quarantine zones that may be in effect in your area. This is your responsibility. Veggie Trader does not promote and is not responsible for any violation of quarantine regulations by a seller, trader, or buyer. Veggie Trader does not control sales and/or trades and therefore has no ability to regulate the individuals who utilize this site. Transporting produce, plants, seeds or other products regulated under quarantine regulations is a violation of the law, so please conduct yourself accordingly. Because of different quarantine regulations on a state by state basis, we recommend you don’t trade, buy, or sell with people outside of your state and/or county.
Because of a comprehensive produce quarantine in place for most of your region due to the light brown apple moth, we unfortunately can't allow items under quarantine to be posted on Veggie Trader. For more specific information on the quarantine and the areas affected, please refer to the California state department of agriculture website.
Pesticides: If you are concerned about pesticides, please ask the people you swap with or buy from if and what pesticides they may have used. Veggie Trader is not involved in the actual transaction between buyers and sellers and does not take title or ownership to any products listed on this site. We are not responsible for any pesticides or harmful agents that may have been added to produce at any time including before, during, or after harvesting.
Liability: Please be aware that any produce or other items you offer or acquire via the site are offered or acquired at your own risk. Veggie Trader is in no way responsible for goods or services listed on the website by users.
Prohibited Items: Veggie Trader is intended for the buying, selling, and trading of homegrown produce only. Posting meat, eggs, dairy products, or any illegal items is prohibited and a violation of our Terms of Use.
US Only: Veggie Trader is intended for local use within US communities and prohibits members from importing or exporting food into or out of the United States through use of the site.
Please read our Terms of Use for more complete information and rules for using Veggie Trader. If there is a conflict, the Terms of Use supersedes anything written here.
Finally, please visit our FAQ to answer any other questions you may have on how Veggie Trader works. You can also contact us with any questions or feedback. We’re always happy to hear
from you.
Eight tips for creating great listings on Veggie Trader:
Tip 1: When describing the produce you have available, be as specific as possible regarding the variety so other members can see exactly what you have. For example, describe your tomatoes as "roma tomatoes" instead of simply "tomatoes".
Tip 2: Make sure to choose the proper Trade Type when prompted. The options are For Trade, For Sale, For Trade or Sale, or Wanted.
Tip 3: If you are looking to trade, or if you are making a Wanted listing, be specific about what you are looking
for under Produce Wanted. If you are looking to sell your produce, leave Produce Wanted blank and be
sure to mention how much money you’re looking for in the Listing Details.
Tip 4: Be specific about the size, quantity, and qualities of the produce you have available in the Listing Details, as well as what you're looking to trade for or how much you are looking to sell your produce for. For example, you might write something like this in your listing details:
I have several dozen large Meyer lemons available. These are great
for juicing. I'm interested in trading them for plums. I will also sell
them at three for a dollar…
Tip 5: If you will listen to any offer, please mention this in Listing Details as well.
Say something like: "I will listen to other offers…" or "All offers welcome…"
Tip 6: We recommend you don't include contact information in your listing (such as your e-mail address or telephone number) unless you want people to contact you directly. Our system allows you to be contacted and respond to other Veggie Trader members anonymously once you've posted a listing. You don’t need to reveal your contact info until you feel comfortable doing so.
Tip 7: If you have multiple types of produce available (i.e. veggies and fruits), we recommend creating separate listings for each individual item to give your produce as much visibility as possible and to help make sure other members can find your produce quickly and easily.
Tip 8: If you can, upload a photo of your produce. Let everyone see what delicious produce you’ve grown and have to offer!
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