Where are you located?
We are at 810 Dempster Street, Evanston, IL, 60202. We're a block west of the Dempster Purple Line station, across the street from The Copy Room, and a few blocks east of Ridge Ave.
How do I place an order?
Order online anytime or walk into our storefront in Evanston. Most customers prefer to order online and select a pick up time slot that works for them. Selecting a time slot also has an added advantage, your groceries will be ready upon your arrival! When you pick up your online order, you can always add to your order while in store.
Is there parking available?
Yes! There is ample metered parking on Dempster Street.
How do I contact Village Farmstand?
(847) 425-0398
I placed an online order and need to change my pickup day and/or time.
That’s okay. Please email us and let us know, info@villagefarmstand.com
I placed an online order and I’d like to add another item. What should I do?
Feel free to make multiple orders during the week and we will aggregate them. It's helpful to add a note when prompted during checkout, and to remind our in-store staff when you pick up your order.
I would like curbside pickup, what do I do?
Please place an online order for pick up. It's helpful to add a note at check out that you want curbside pickup. When you arrive, please call us at (847) 425-0398. Describe your car and we will bring out your groceries!
Where do you get your food from?
Roughly 85% of our products come from small farms and artisan vendors within 150 miles of Evanston. There are some exceptions, like our organic citrus which comes from small certified organic farms in California. Currently, we source from over 60 farms that utilize organic or regenerative farming practices.
Can I hand select my food like in a traditional grocery store?
All of our products are stored in temperature controlled environments in the back of our store to ensure the highest quality and freshness. It also helps us to avoid food waste and allows us to fulfill orders in a timely manner. You can always ask to see products before purchasing or can reject or replace products when picking up an order.
Do you offer delivery?
Unfortunately, we do not offer delivery at this time.
Why don’t all of the products say they’re organic?
A number of our farmers only farm part time on less than 5 acres of land and obtaining a certification is time consuming and cost prohibitive. One of our goals over time is to help these farmers obtain organic certifications.
In addition, we believe that we can do better than organic. Our certified organic farmers do use organic fungicides as part of their growing practices, which are still harmful to the environment and our health. For this reason, we seek out farmers using regenerative practices. See below for a description of what this means.
What is regenerative agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture focuses on increasing biodiversity, soil health, climate resilience, carbon sequestration and nutrient density. There is no pesticide or fungicide use in regenerative farming. All crop issues are solved by increasing the health of the plants. Everything sold at Village Farmstand comes with a focus on sourcing from farms using regenerative practices.
Wouldn’t it be better for me to buy direct from a farmer at a farmer’s market?
There’s nothing wrong with supporting farmers at farmer’s markets and many of the farms we work with also do farmer’s markets. For a small farmer to make an honest living, they need multiple sales avenues and that’s the role we aim to play for these farmers. Our greater vision is to transform the grocery industry from a highly exploitative, non-transparent, consolidated supply chain, to one that is equitable and reliant on an abundance of small and mid-sized regional suppliers.
Where can I learn more about our food systems?
Sustainable, a documentary by Matt Wechsler & Annie Speicher
Rodale Institute, a nonprofit focused on growing the regenerative organic movement through research, farmer training, and consumer education.