faq

Account Management
Welcome to Mother Earth Food! Registration is easy. Just click on the “Register” button on our site, and it will take you through the steps to set up your account. Please take a look ahead of time to see if your home falls in our "Delivery Areas", and if not, we can service you through pick up at our warehouse. If you are an EBT card holder, you can select EBT Warehouse Pick Up. Once registered, check your email for further information to help you navigate your account. If you have any questions, please contact customer care!
Please check out our delivery maps to view our delivery areas. We serve the Asheville, NC area. To double check your address on our delivery area page, simply click on, “can you deliver to my address,” and enter your home delivery address. If you are in the waiting list, or outside of the area, we do offer pick up at our West Asheville warehouse on Friday from 11-6 and Saturday from 9-12. We can also consider an alternative address for you. If you have any questions, please contact customer care.
You can see your upcoming orders by logging in, and using the drop down menu to go to "Upcoming Orders.” You can peek at upcoming orders for up to 4 weeks in advance.
As you attempt to log in, just follow the “forgot password” link and an email will be sent with instructions to reset. Make sure to copy and paste the link into a new tab. If you have any trouble please contact customer care to reset the password with a temporary password.
Going out of town? Unable to receive a delivery? Not to worry! If you need to pause deliveries, you can, by using the “Delivery Hold” feature in “My Account” and set the dates you will be away. This should be done before the ordering cut-off for your selected delivery day.
If you return early, and would like to resume, and have a recurring order, you can go to your "Upcoming Deliveries" and press "Un-Skip Delivery"
For a video tutorial on placing a hold on your order, click HERE.
We actually prefer for you to order consistently! Plus, if you set up recurring orders, it’s easier than having to remember every week. Just click on the “Farm Boxes” tab on the site and select the basket you want to have on a regular basis and then set the frequency of your order (weekly or bi-weekly). A number of other products in our store are available to be recurring as well. You can manage this in your "Recurring Orders"' tab of your account. In this tab, you can edit the frequency, or delete, or just double check the items you have set as recurring.
Once logged in, use the drop down to go to the "Account Balance" field, Here you will find the account balance, as well as your delivery history. Here is where you can see any credits that have been added to your account, or coupons, or even gift certificates!
Moving out of the area and need to cancel or suspend your account? Simply go into “My Account” and click on “Cancel Account” which will take you to an account cancellation request form.
Just contact customer care with the new address, or request pick up. We have to update this section so we can know where your order is in the process, and make sure you are routed correctly. Thank you!
Our drivers work long hours and are the smiling faces out in the community. We know that they appreciate any sort of tips, especially if you find their service is exceptional. You may add a tip to the checkout process for each week’s order. Simply click on the “tip” under My Deliveries after you’ve added your items to your cart. A window will pop up and you can enter the amount you wish to tip to your driver. We’ll do all the work to get it to your driver. You can also make it a recurring payment, so you don’t have to remember to do it every week.
The best way to do this is in your account, in the cart. There is a tip line, where you can add a tip for a single week, or set a recurring amount.
Ordering Information
- First, make sure you are registered for an account, and that you have been assigned to a delivery route or are picking up at the warehouse.
- Use your User ID and password to login to your account to start shopping!
- Our ordering window to shop for the upcoming week opens on Friday at noon, with the release of the new Harvest Menu, meaning what fruits and veggies will be available during this ordering window. In addition to rotating harvests, we offer tabs showcasing our New & Sale items as well as weekly rotating Featured Items for you to peruse! You can shop weekly to find unique new items or take the hassle out of shopping by setting your items to recurring weekly or every other week orders.
- While the ordering window is open, you can customize your farm box if that is one of your selections.
- Orders for Tuesday are due by Sunday at 11:30 PM. Orders for Wednesday are due by Monday at 11:30 PM. Orders for Thursday are due by Tuesday at 11:30 PM and orders for Friday are due by Wednesday at 11:30 PM.
PLEASE NOTE:
*You can always plan ahead and add items to your cart for a future delivery day or order ahead for later weeks. Please note, product availability may be subject to change and produce is always rotating.
*Due to the nature (literally and figuratively) of the farm fresh food, our weekly harvest changes weekly, and we can't always predict what will be harvested with 100% accuracy. We will communicate any changes or substitutions ahead of your order fulfillment.
The order window opens on Friday at noon. Orders for Tuesday are due Sunday at 11:30 PM, orders for Wednesday are due Monday at 11:30 PM, orders for Thursday are due Tuesday at 11:30 PM and orders for Friday are due Wednesday at 11:30 PM. An email invoice will be sent to you at the end of the ordering window. As we order from farmers and vendors immediately, this cut-off is firm with no adjustments to orders. NOTE: You will not be able to customize an upcoming order until the order window is open. Please contact customer care with any questions!
Our flagship options are our seasonal produce baskets. These baskets contain locally grown produce, fresh from local farms. Small baskets contain 7 products; medium baskets 10 products and large baskets 13 products. The contents of your basket will vary each week depending on what is in season and available from our local farms. A product portion size varies depending on the specific fruit or vegetable. For example, 1 portion could equal 3 apples, 1 bunch of carrots, or 1 lb. of potatoes.
Select either the small, medium or large "Build Your Own" box and add to your cart. In the cart, click on "Customize Box" and make your selections. You will have to delete undesired items to allow for other selections. NOTE: Make sure to hit "Save Customizations" to save your selections. Customizations can be made each week once the Harvest Menu is released, Friday at noon until the ordering cut-off for your desired delivery day.
For a video tutorial on how to customize, click HERE.
We want to make sure you are completely satisfied with your order. If you experience anything less, please contact us so we can "make it right". If an item is not up to quality standards, missing from your order, or otherwise, please contact us. As part of our internal quality assurance, we evaluate concerns and implement new strategies as a team to improve our overall operations and experience.
Absolutely, what a great way to show the love! Click on "Gift Certificates" in the header on our website. The process is simple. Provide the information necessary, and customize the amount, and we will send a confirmation of receipt to the purchaser, and the gift certificate with instructions on how to redeem to the recipient.
In addition, we have a "Refer a Friend" Program that helps to spread the good word...and give you a credit! Details about this program can be found in the "Referrals" tab in "My Account"
We want to make sure you are completely satisfied with your order. If you experience anything less, please contact us so we can "make it right". If an item is not up to quality standards, missing from your order, or otherwise, please contact us so we can credit your account. As part of our internal quality assurance, we evaluate concerns and implement new strategies as a team to improve our overall operations and experience.
Product Information
Product offering availability can fluctuate for a variety of reasons. Because we work primarily with small farms to source our weekly orders, we often are met with dynamic variables over which we have little control. We may receive offerings that do not meet our high quality standards, or one of our beloved local farmers may find their harvest needed just a bit more growing time before it was ready to share. While this can be inconvenient, it’s also a sign that our farmers are growing things the old fashioned way, with love instead of heavy fertilizers and excessive pesticides.
When these kinds of situations occur, we’ll try our best to substitute with a comparable product. If we can’t source this locally, we might need to expand out to regional or beyond, but we’ll always do our best to minimize these for you. By staying open minded and flexible, we are all working together to support the mission of local farms and food!
Our flagship options are our seasonal produce baskets. These baskets contain locally grown produce, fresh from local farms. The small baskets contain 7 products; medium baskets 10 products and large baskets 13 products. The contents of your basket will vary each week depending on what is in season and available from our local farms. A product portion size varies depending on the specific fruit or vegetable. For example, 1 portion could equal 3 apples, 1 bunch of carrots, or 1 lb. of potatoes.
You can set these up to as a recurring order on a weekly basis, or every other week. Alternatively, you can order produce items a la carte if you are not ready to commit to a recurring produce order. Just make sure the order subtotal exceeds $20, or the order will be deleted.
We feature local, humanely and pasture raised meats and sustainably sourced seafood, dairy and eggs, baked goods and sweets, pantry items and prepared foods from local vendors to make meal preparation simple. We are always adding new products, so be sure to check our “new items & featured" and "sales" pages often.
Produce is often picked up at our farms the day before we deliver the produce to you. We order only what we need for each week, and do our best to eliminate any extra time between harvest and delivery!
We depend on our network of farmers to supply us with seasonal, yet diverse produce. Having the luxury of multiple growing regions in the Carolinas helps us to provide year-round local food. We develop personal relationships with every one of our growers & food artisans, most of them are small family-owned businesses like ourselves.
While we strive to source as close to home as possible, seasonal availability and growing climates of certain products, such as bananas, will limit the ability to source exclusively from farmers in the Appalachian Foodshed, in which case certain products are sourced regionally or beyond.
While we do highlight local foods, we do often work with regional farmers to ensure high quality foods, as well as variety. Each listing will inform the growing style and origin.
The majority of the farms we work with are Certified Organic, with over 80% of our produce falling in this category. We do however also source from farmers who utilize organic growing practices, but are not certified, as this is often restrictive and cost prohibitive for the small farmer. Each product will be noted with the growing practice and source. To maintain transparency, items labeled organic are from farms certified by the USDA. Organically grown are items from farms that are not certified but utilize organic growing practices. This is common for small farms.
During the winter season, we source everything we can locally. We work with some local hydroponic growers and those who grow hardy root crops. If we cannot source items locally, from the Appalachian Foodshed, we do aim for organically grown as the gold standard. Each item will be noted with the growing method and the source.
At Mother Earth Food, we source meat products from pasture-raised animals. Farms are considered for utilization of production practices that emphasize the environment, animal welfare and the viability of small-scale livestock producers.
Delivery Information
We deliver to the Asheville area on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Deliveries start at 7 AM, and end around 5 PM approximately. Our drivers will text when the delivery is complete. Please make sure to update the phone number in "My Account" to receive a notification. Exact delivery times fluctuate along our routes due to the number of customers on a route and considerations such as traffic, but we do our best to deliver within the estimated window. If we are running behind, we will let you know!
You can find your delivery day in your "Upcoming Deliveries" tab in your account, and also in your shopping cart.
Our enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocol allow us to pick up and isolate your returned freezer bags and reusable ice bricks. Please leave both out for pick up at your delivery location. We will return, thoroughly clean, disinfect, recycle, and reuse these items.
Our home delivery is only $8.99! We also offer FREE DELIVERY with orders over $75.00!
You can contact customer care to change to pick up. Please indicate if this is a one time change or ongoing. Pick up at Mother Earth Food on Fridays from 10am-6pm or Saturdays 9am-12pm.
Go into the “My Account” page and click on “Preferences” which has a field where you can add information such as gate codes, instructions for which porch to use, etc. If it is an upcoming delivery after the ordering cut-off, please contact customer care. These notes are printed on Tuesday morning, so if you added notes after that time, please contact customer care.
Once logged in, go to the "Preferences" field. Make sure to check the "Email Me Order Reminders". This is how you can receive important updates pertaining to your order including delivery status, possible substitutions, and flash sale opportunities. We also send out information about upcoming sales, new items, etc. in our weekly newsletter. Be sure to read these emails so that you’re in the loop on all our love-filled Mother Earth Food news!
Billing
Your credit card will be charged the day before your delivery or pick up. You will receive an invoice for your order once your order is received. If you experience any issues with your order, please contact us immediately so we can make it right.
Note that specific weights of cheeses and meats will be calculated and adjusted accordingly, which will show up on your invoice. Some of our meat and cheeses are sold by weight just like at a grocery store. When ordering, please put in the number of units you would like to purchase. Not the number of ounces/pounds. Then, one of our staff members will handpick your portion and enter in the actual weight which is what you will be charged for. Want an idea of portion size? Each item that is sold by weight has an approximate size listed in the description on our website.
We understand that life happens! And we do ask that you stay in contact with us.
Here are the steps to update your form of payment in your account:
1. Login to "My Account"
2. Use the drop-down box to go to "Account Info"
3. Scroll to the bottom to "Payment Info" and enter new credit card details, and make sure to press "Update" to retain changes.*
4. When finished, email kathy@motherearthfood.com for payment processing if you have received notice of decline.
*For security reasons, MEF does not have access to this section of your account, so we cannot support the process in making these changes. If your card is declined, please make sure that you double check your billing address, credit card number and expiration date. We will not be able to make those changes for you for security reasons.
Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)
Yes, you can use your EBT card for purchasing products that fall within the parameters of SNAP. The majority of products offered by Mother Earth Food will fall into this category, with the exception of alcohol, CBD, body care and pet food. Payment with EBT is be made in person, at our West Asheville location with the EBT card reader. Delivery is not an option with EBT, as payment must be made in person with the EBT card reader.
If you are planning on paying with EBT, please contact customer care to make sure your account is set up properly for successful EBT transactions.
When you register on www.motherearthfood.com, make sure to select “EBT Pick Up”, and then complete the rest of the registration process with your information. Once this is received by customer care, and confirmed, you will receive notice to start ordering. Pick up will be available on Friday from 11-6 and Saturday from 9-12 at our warehouse. (29 Hawk Hill Road, Asheville, NC 28806)
Pull down the lane and park in front of the warehouse, and one of our team members will come out to assist you. Payment with EBT card can be made at the time of pick up.
Great question. The reason that we cannot offer home delivery for EBT is because online purchases with EBT have not expanded past an initial pilot program started in 2015. Hopefully this will change, but in the meantime, we have found a creative work around in that we CAN offer EBT as payment for purchases with pick up at our West Asheville location. Pick up can be made on Friday from 11-6 and Saturday from 9-12. Please have your card ready, and make sure to check the balance in advance to make sure there are sufficient funds.
Our host platform requires a credit or debit card for successful registration. However, your credit or debit card will not be billed, but rather payment is made in person with your EBT card on Friday from 11-6 or Saturday from 9-12.
You can check the balance of your EBT card online or by phone in advance. For balance by phone, please call the EBT Customer Service number (1-888-356-3281) on the back of your card. After you enter your sixteen (16) digit EBT card number you will hear your current food assistance or cash account balance. You can also check your balance online at www.ebtedge.com . Click on More Information under EBT Cardholders.
If you are purchasing SNAP eligible items in excess of the balance amount on your EBT card you will be required to do two transactions: one with your EBT card for SNAP-eligible foods and another for the remaining items in excess of your available SNAP benefits.
For example, if your total grocery bill was $37.00 and you only had $32.00 on your SNAP EBT card, you could do one transaction with your EBT card for $32.00, purchasing SNAP-eligible foods, and then a second transaction for $5.00, with cash or credit/debit card using our Square card reader.
If you are not able to pick up your order, please be in touch with customer care so we can develop alternative arrangements for pick up time, or if you need to cancel your order. If transportation is a barrier, please know that you are eligible to designate a representative on your behalf. More information about this option can be found by contacting NC DHHS, and with your caseworker.
Contact Information, Hours, Address, & Miscellaneous
Our warehouse is in the Smith Mill Works Complex in West Asheville, NC.
The physical address is:
29 Hawk Hill Road, Asheville, NC 28806
Directions:
GPS address is 151 Cedar Hill Road, Asheville, NC 28806. Turn into the gate at the entrance of Smith Mill Works, and go down the lane to a green warehouse on your right.
For warehouse pickups, please come during the following hours, as these are when we have dedicated staff ready to greet you and help you with your pick up:
Tuesdays from 10am-3pm
Wednesday from 10am-3pm
Thursdays from 10am-3pm
Fridays from 10am-6pm
Saturdays from 9am-12pm
If you are picking up from the warehouse, we have staff outside to help you, but if they are not immediately available, you can ring the doorbell to the right of our big roll-up warehouse door to signal folks inside.
We are always taking resumes for warehouse associates and drivers. At times, we post positions for our management team. Feel free to send over a resume and references to our HR Director, Veronica, at veronica@motherearthfood.com.