Important Customer Information About the NEW Food Connects Ordering & Payment Platform

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023, Food Connects will launch an entirely new online ordering and billing platform at shop.foodconnects.org

We have been working hard behind the scenes to build a more user-friendly website with helpful product photos, easy re-ordering functionality, extensive searching and sorting capabilities, and many other new benefits.


What to expect:

We will continue to use the existing Harvest to Market platform for all orders placed on or before 10 AM on Monday, May 1. 

After 10 AM on May 1, online ordering will be temporarily unavailable. You may still order by email or phone during this brief outage.

On May 2, the brand new platform will launch at the existing address of shop.foodconnects.org.


If you order through ECRS, email, phone or text:

Your ordering process will not change. You can continue to send orders to orders@foodconnects.org or call us at 802-451-0550. 

However, we do recommend that you check out the new site on May 2. It will be much more usable than the current site, and you may want to give it a go!


If you order at shop.foodconnects.org:

Logging in:

There will be a multi-step registration process designed to keep your account secure. On Tuesday, May 2, you should receive an email from “noreply@foodconnects.org” with the subject line “Welcome to Food Connects,” looking something like this:

Click on the “Reset Password” button to reach this screen:


Enter your email address here and click on the “Send Email” button. This will send a second email to you, looking like this:

Click on the “Change Password” button to reach this screen:

Enter the password of your choice and click on the “Change Password” button. You’re now ready to place your first order on the new Food Connects website!


Placing orders:

The new site will look much like the familiar e-commerce platforms you’re used to seeing in 2023. You can browse by product category, brand name, or various other categories, or use the search button to find the items you’re looking for.

Please click here to view a very useful video demonstrating all the new features that will be available.



Payments:

With our new system we will continue to issue invoices on terms. You have multiple options available to you to pay invoices:

  1. Pay electronically using our new payment processor, Paystand. Click on the “Pay Now” button on your invoice email to launch Paystand. 


With Paystand, you can pay with any of the following methods: 

  • Direct Bank Transfer 

  • Traditional ACH

  • Credit Card

2) Pay by mailing a paper check.



We intend to integrate Paystand payments directly into the e-commerce site in the future. 


Please note:

  • Please be aware that our response time may be a little slower than usual as we adapt to this new system. 

  • We will have all hands on deck to provide you with the best service possible, but we will not be able to accommodate late orders or order additions during this transitional period. Our order deadlines will remain firm at:

    • 10 AM on Monday for Wednesday and Thursday deliveries;

    • and 10 AM on Wednesday for Friday and Monday deliveries; 

    • with early order deadlines for the products that are made to order, including bread and Yalla products. 

  • Please contact us if you have any questions about order deadlines.

  • If you notice anything is not working as it should be, please let us know! We expect some quirks to appear early in this transition, and hope to fix them ASAP.

Need help?

If you have any questions or concerns as you begin using the new website, please contact the Food Connects sales team for assistance:

Ramelle Schepp

orders@foodconnects.org

802-451-0550


Beth Lewand

beth@foodconnects.org

802-689-8676

Tom Brewton

tom@foodconnects.org

802-258-1546

We will be able to accept your orders via email or phone if you are not able to use the new platform for any reason.

Thank you SO MUCH for your continued partnership with Food Connects, and for bearing with us through this transition. We promise to continue to provide the best possible customer service, and to make your ordering and billing experience better than ever!