This page has helpful information for current and prospective herb growers who want to grow plants for the Meeting House Farm Herb Grower Collaborative. 

Below, you will find the following documents:

• FAQ for Growers
• Options for Selling with Meeting House Farm (MHF)
• Sample Consignment Agreement (coming soon)
• Herb Drying Guide for the Northeast

If you would like to join the Collaborative, you can apply at any time right here!

Check out the amazing folks who make up Our Grower Collaborative here.

FAQ for MHF Growers

Do Growers have a standard growing practice to adhere to?

• All growers with Meeting House Farm grow regeneratively and organically.  Many of us also follow biodynamic methods. We do not require farms to be certified organic, but we do visit every farm and talk with you about your farming methods. We are a collaborative of small farmers who harvest beautiful herbal medicines by hand – resulting in high quality medicine for local herbalists.

What about soil health?

• Soil health should be your first priority. Please get a soil test of your growing area.

What does the MHF Collaborative accept?

• We welcome plants that offer to share themselves in your life and are loved, tended, and dried by you.
• We typically do not take extracts or other preparations. The extracts in our store were prepared under state license in our facility, or a facility that we have already thoroughly inspected and is licensed as well.

How should I store my plants for transport?

• Herbs should be stored in barrier bags or food grade plastic buckets. See the Herb Drying Guide below for more details.

How do I get my herbs to MHF?

• The first time you consign or sell with us, we will come to you to pick up your dried plant material. You can get them ready in paper or parchment bags for us - we will store them in biodegradable paper barrier bags in our certified facility. We will want to get to know you and ask you questions about your story, your growing practices and your relationship with the herbs.
• We also offer an herb pick up – (monthly in the northeast) – usually the first week of each month during the season (June – November). You are also welcome to drop off at our farm at any time.

What happens to my herbs once they reach MHF?

• We will re-bag and label your herbs, take a picture and get them on the website. We aim to do that within the week, but during the height of the season it can take a month.

What quantities do you accept?

• We accept 1 lb per herb or more. We will do a pick-up for at least 5 lbs of dried herbs.
• We must re-weigh your herbs.
• We can only count herbs in increments of 1 oz. If you send us 10 lbs plus 0.5 oz of tulsi, we can’t easily sell the 0.5 oz so we will pay you for the 10 lbs. As we grow, we hope to use these “little bits” to combine between farms, but for now the volume isn’t there for this option.
• After we weigh your herbs, you will receive a receipt from us that will include how we bagged that herb for sale.

Why are there two different sales prices for the same variety of plant on your website?

• We are a certified organic farm and as such are required to show price differences between certified organic and non-certified. This is evident in all of our pricing.

What happens if my herbs don't sell?

• If we don’t sell your herbs in 18 months, we will put them on sale the following January. If they don’t sell in 20 months we will return them to you or offer to donate them to a local group.

What is the payout structure like?

• You can choose from 3 different models (see below).

Options for Selling with MHF

1. Herbal Marketplace Model - In this model your herbs are bagged as single-origin, advertised on the Meeting House Farm website, and then shipped directly from your location. When a bag of herbs is sold, growers receive a payout of 94% of the sales price of the herbs.

2. Retail Program (for Community Herb Growers) - In this model, we buy your herbs out-right and sell them under the Meeting House Farm logo. When a bag of herbs is sold, growers receive a payout of 50% of the sales price of the herbs (bagging costs are not included in the payout).

3. Nurture Program (for Single Origin Growers) - In this model, growers receive a payout of 60% of the sales price of the herbs (bagging costs are not included in the payout) and your herbs will always be labeled with your farm name.

Interested in selling with Meeting House Farm?

• Please reach out to farmers@meetinghouse.farm to let us know what you are interested in selling. We’d love to talk to you!
• We need for you to stick with the option you choose for the entire year. 

Herb Drying Guide (American Northeast)

 

If you have additional questions, please contact us via this form: