2/15/23 Portland Press Herald

Farm Store, a new online hub for Maine farmers markets, aims to make online ordering and purchasing available at markets throughout the state this year.

The Farm Store site, at farmstore.us, had a limited launch last summer. Bangor-based Farm Store founders Steve, Terri and Michael Sleeper started the site so customers of their business, Mediterranean Cuisine by TS, could purchase their products more conveniently.

Farm Store allows customers to search items online, place an order directly with the vendor and pick up their purchase in person at the farmers market. The process also helps prevent disappointment when customers arrive at a farmers market to find the items they wanted from particular vendors have already sold out, Terri Sleeper said.

The Sleepers currently have about half a dozen vendors from various area farmers markets signed on to their site. Farm Store is free to use for both vendors and customers, and Steve Sleeper said they will provide vendors with all necessary tech support to get their inventories added to the site.

“The software is ready to handle the whole state of Maine. We really want to grow this thing,” he said, noting that they hope to add as many as 100 vendors to the site in the coming months.

At the same time, Sleeper added that they don’t want to hurry the process, and would rather make sure the site works as it should.

“We’re not in any big hurry,” he said. “We want to make sure the online experience is fabulous and flawless.”