{"id":3125,"date":"2025-01-07T16:52:51","date_gmt":"2025-01-07T16:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/about.openfoodnetwork.net\/?p=3125"},"modified":"2025-01-07T17:24:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T17:24:57","slug":"january-2025-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/about.openfoodnetwork.net\/?p=3125","title":{"rendered":"January 2025 Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jan. 7, 2025, 9 a.m.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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The Latest from Open Food Network USA<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Made possible with your contributions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Happy New Year! <\/em><\/strong>\ud83c\udf89<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Cozy up with some hot cocoa\ud83c\udf75\u2026<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

it\u2019s time for the OFN Newsletter!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re ready to \u2728dazzle\u2728 you with the coolest conference updates, share the news of new reports, and update you on the new pricing model change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A little note from Laurie\ud83d\udcdc:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hey happy new year! Gina has put together some news for you from around the community, and this issue also introduces <\/em>our new suggested contribution<\/em><\/strong>plan <\/em><\/strong>(aka \u201cpricing\u201d for short). At the bottom, you\u2019ll find our list of ways to contribute so we can keep bringing you open-source tools from the most beloved open-source food-oriented e-commerce platform in all the universe (honest, your contributions keep OFN alive and are a great investment in the future of community-based food security). Whatever you can contribute, We appreciate you – you help us make the change that creates a fairer food system for all.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please let us know how we can help – we do what we do because of you!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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New Contribution Model & Contribution Reminder \u26a0\ufe0f<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Haven\u2019t paid for your last season or year? Slip your mind? Here\u2019s your chance to check it off your to-do list! Make sure you contribute your fair share and help us keep making great features to support our changing food system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donate & Contribute<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pay Your Share<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of changes\u2026 we\u2019re rolling out a new suggested contribution model<\/strong> for 2025 based on monthly sales. We think this will be more responsive to your business, more transparent, and waaaay easier to figure out for you and for us. We\u2019ll contact you at the end of every month and suggest a fair contribution based on this formula:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doesn\u2019t this make so much more sense?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As usual, when you are ready to pay, just head to the OFN Donation Shop<\/a> and pay with Paypal, a Credit Card, or let us know you are sending a check, or contact us to send us money using Venmo, Zelle, CashApp, or whatever magical money-sending tool you like best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Pay Suppliers report!<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Shout out and a big thank you to the flower farms in Canada who supported funding for this improved feature!\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\udf37\ud83e\udebb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pay Your Suppliers report has new column options, such as Order Number, Order Date, and Order Cycle, making tracking and managing payments to suppliers easier. Many Hubs find it especially useful to download the report as a spreadsheet and add custom notes\u2014like check numbers\u2014for streamlined payment tracking. This update is a great step toward simplifying workflows and supporting transparency with producers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As best described by our friends at the OFN United Kingdom Instance in their recent newsletter<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The report, called Pay Your Suppliers<\/a>, can be accessed from the Reports screen and gives a breakdown of products purchased within the period you specify. The price columns specifically break down the amount owed to suppliers for sales; if the supplier has added a fee (i.e. on the incoming producers screen of an order cycle), this will be shown in the total fees column. Ditto if the supplier is tax registered, tax will be shown in the total tax column. This report excludes fees and tax charged by the hub, which are still shown in other reports. We hope this will help simplify the admin process for paying your suppliers!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As always, make sure you check the OFN User Guide<\/a> for an overview, and reach out via email, visit Kent during office hours<\/a> or make a visit to Hylo<\/a> to ask any questions!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Conference-Palooza!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Catch our team members in action advocating for change.<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gathering for Open Agricultural Technology (GOAT)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Held at Pacines Ranch in Pacines, California. GOAT invited open ag tech community members to meet, learn, share, and formalize [a] common vision for creating open technologies in our food system.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The conference was a hub of innovation and collaboration, focused on advancing tools and technologies that empower farmers and put them at the center of agricultural progress. \ud83d\udc02\ud83e\udd55\ud83e\uded1<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

OFN Project Manager Amber Subers took the stage during the panel, “What is \u2018Appropriate\u2019 Digital Technology?\u201d exploring how technology can truly meet the diverse needs of farmers, ranchers, and producers. She shared valuable insights from her experience working directly with farmers, highlighting their challenges and triumphs in adopting open-source tools to support their businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Minnesota Farmers Union<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Left to Right \u2013 Kristine Jonas (<\/em>Virginia MN Farmers Market Hub<\/em><\/a> manager), Kent Lorentzen (Open Food Network \u2013 User Support), Kathy Zeman (<\/em>Minnesota Farmers Market Association<\/em><\/a> executive director), Jane Jewett (<\/em>Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Minnesota Farmers Market Hubs<\/em><\/a>). Everyone pictured was a Delegate from their County.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Left to Right: <\/em>Kent Lorentzen, Missy Bakker Roach (<\/em>MFU<\/em><\/a> State Secretary).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Minnesota Farmers Union<\/a>\u2019s 83rd Annual Convention was attended by our favorite User Support Specialist – Kent Lorentzen! Kent is active as a Delegate from Aitkin County MN where he farms along the Mississippi River in northern Minnesota. Pertinent connections were made with farmers and leaders in the community to strengthen and protect Minnesota\u2019s food systems and share tools and resources like the Open Food Network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve attended a conference this year or have information or ideas to share you think could help others in the fair food community, don\u2019t forget to post on Hylo<\/a>! Collaboration is our jam \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Giving Tuesday<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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We appreciate your contributions!\ud83c\udf1f<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Thank you to all who participated in Giving Tuesday last month! We are grateful for the support to keep fighting for what we believe is right and fair within our food system; OFN couldn\u2019t do this without the people who give their time, and monetary support, and provide OFN the platform to share our mission with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We welcome contributions in the spirit of giving all January long. Giving Tuesday is over, but we work towards our mission of fairer food every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join us this month by adding donations to your shop front for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n