What is Steader?
Steader is a comprehensive platform designed to connect local food producers with their communities. It enables homesteaders, gardeners, and small-scale farmers to build a digital presence, manage their production, and sell directly to customers through an online storefront. Buyers can discover and purchase local meat, dairy, produce, and handcrafted items, with options for pickup or delivery. The platform includes in-app messaging, simple business tools for tracking costs and inventory, and secure payment processing. Built by homesteaders, Steader aims to strengthen local food systems by making local food accessible, personal, and trusted.
Features
- Digital Storefront: Create a personalized farm profile to showcase products, methods, and philosophy.
- Online Marketplace: List and sell meat, dairy, produce, livestock, and handcrafted goods.
- In-App Messaging: Directly communicate with customers and community members.
- Business Tools: Track costs, manage inventory, generate reports, and plan production.
- Secure Payments: Encrypted marketplace with transaction fees covering technology infrastructure.
- Sales Tax Handling: Automatic calculation, collection, filing, and reporting of sales tax.
Use Cases
- Homesteaders selling homegrown produce and meat to local customers.
- Small-scale farmers building an online storefront and managing inventory.
- Community members discovering and purchasing locally sourced food.
- Producers scheduling pickups and deliveries for their products.
- Gardeners sharing surplus harvest with neighbors.
FAQs
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Is it free to create a profile and list products?
Yes, creating your profile and listing products is completely free. You only pay a transaction fee when you make a sale. -
What are the transaction fees?
The transaction fee is $0.58 plus 3% on the first $50 of a sale, and 1% on amounts above $50. Payment processing fees from Stripe apply separately. -
Does Steader handle sales tax?
Yes, Steader calculates, collects, files, and reports sales tax for you. -
Can I use Steader alongside farmers markets?
Absolutely. Many producers use Steader to offer convenient pickup or delivery between market days and build relationships beyond Saturday mornings. -
How do customers pay?
Payments are processed securely through Stripe. Customers can pay via credit card or bank transfer.
