Product Roadmap

LocallyGrown has been around for 23 years, but the platform you see today was completely rebuilt in 2025. This roadmap shows where it's headed next.

Solo founder transparency: I'm one person building this platform while supporting 26 active markets. Timelines are estimates based on current priorities and support load. Have urgent needs? Email me to discuss.

What's Live Right Now

The 2025 rewrite delivered a modern, fast platform with:

🛒 Core Commerce

  • Multi-vendor storefronts
  • Product listings with photos & descriptions
  • Flexible order windows (pickup, delivery, shipping)
  • Shopping cart with quantity management
  • Order confirmation emails
  • Customer order history

💳 Payments

  • Stripe integration (credit/debit cards)
  • Pay-at-pickup support
  • Automatic fee calculation (3% + Stripe fees)
  • Markets manage their own Stripe accounts and grower payments

👨‍🌾 Farmer Tools

  • Product management dashboard
  • Inventory tracking per order window
  • Order fulfillment views
  • Sales reporting
  • Customer communication tools

🏪 Market Admin

  • Multi-farmer market management
  • Order window scheduling
  • Location management (pickup & delivery)
  • Customizable email templates & campaigns
  • Volunteer management & shift tracking
  • Market-wide announcements
  • Order fulfillment tracking
  • CSV export (orders, products, users)
  • Financial reporting & analytics
  • Farmer onboarding tools

✅ Production ready. These features are stable and handling real orders for 26 markets today.

🚀 Recently Shipped

What's landed since the 2025 relaunch — each item is live in production and in use by markets today.

Market Automations

Shipped: October–November 2025

What: A scheduling engine that runs recurring tasks for each market on its own timezone, with an audit trail and email notifications on success or failure.

  • Open and close ordering windows automatically on a weekly schedule
  • Send customer pickup reminders ahead of each pickup day
  • Automatically deactivate products that have hit zero inventory
  • Manual override at any time without disabling the schedule
  • Retry-on-failure, with a full execution history per market

Why it mattered: This is the "I can run my market while I sleep" story. It replaces the manual Sunday-night ritual of logging in to open ordering for the week.

Weblog Template Gallery

Shipped: October 2025

What: Eight ready-made newsletter templates markets can drop into their weblog, instead of starting every post from a blank page.

  • Event Promotion · Modern Newsletter · Modern Two-Column
  • Seasonal Announcement · Product Highlight · Recipe Showcase
  • Grower Spotlight · Market Update

Why it mattered: Markets were telling me they wanted to send weekly updates but didn't have time to design each one. The templates handle layout and tone; managers just fill in this week's story.

Metrics Dashboard & Insights

Shipped: January 2026

What: Interactive sales dashboards beyond the standard financial reports and CSV exports.

  • 📊 Sales trends visualized over time
  • 📈 Top products by revenue
  • 👥 Customer retention and lifetime value
  • 🔍 Week-over-week and year-over-year comparisons
  • 📍 Orders-by-location breakdown

Why it mattered: Markets had basic reports but wanted visual analytics to make better stocking and outreach decisions. This closes the "Enhanced Reporting" slot from earlier versions of this roadmap.

Sage — Built-In AI Help

Shipped: December 2025

What: A chat assistant trained on LocallyGrown's documentation, available to market admins, growers, and customers directly inside the app.

Why it mattered: Faster answers for first-time users and less back-and-forth support email for markets.

Per-Market Hosted Email

Shipped: December 2025

What: Transactional email is now sent from each market's own domain via Mailgun, with proper SPF/DKIM handling.

Why it mattered: Order confirmations land in customers' inboxes instead of spam folders, and they visibly come from the market they know.

Other Polish

Shipped: across winter 2025–spring 2026
  • Configurable navigation labels per market
  • A dedicated "closed window" page so customers know when to come back
  • Friendlier Stripe error messages at checkout
  • An orders-by-location report for markets with multiple pickup sites
  • An Impact Report page summarizing 2025 results

🔨 In Progress (Next 1-3 Months)

Near-term focus is stability, observability, and the features below.

Product Varieties

Target: Q2 2026

What: One product with multiple options — sizes, colors, cuts — without duplicating inventory or listings.

  • Dropdown selector for products with a handful of varieties
  • Button grid for products with many options
  • Per-variety active/inactive toggle and stock tracking
  • Price range display (e.g., "$3.99 – $4.99")

Status: Technical analysis and UX mockups are complete; implementation is the next thing on the list.

Why now: Growers with size-based or color-based products (apples, peppers, flower bunches) have been working around the platform with multiple near-duplicate listings.

Subscription Management (CSA Boxes)

Target: Q2 2026

What: Recurring weekly or monthly subscription orders.

  • Set up subscription products
  • Automatic recurring billing
  • Skip week / pause subscription options
  • Customizable box contents

Why now: CSA farms need subscription support, and it's the most-requested gap versus competing platforms.

⚠️ Currently available in: Local Line, Local Food Marketplace

📋 Planned (6-12 Months Out)

These features are on the roadmap but timing depends on support load and market feedback.

Multi-Language Support

Target: Q2 2026

What: Spanish language option to start

  • UI translation
  • Product description translations
  • Bilingual email templates

Why this matters: Many local food markets serve multilingual communities.

⚠️ Currently available in: Open Food Network (multiple languages)

SNAP/EBT Payment Support

Target: Q3 2026

What: Accept SNAP benefits via compatible processor

  • EBT card processing integration
  • Dual payment support (split SNAP + credit)
  • SNAP-eligible product marking

Why this matters: Critical for markets serving SNAP customers.

The challenge: Complex integration with limited processor options. This one will take time to get right.

⚠️ Currently available in: Local Food Marketplace, Open Food Network

Delivery Route Management

Target: Q3 2026

What: Tools for managing delivery logistics

  • Route planning and optimization
  • Delivery time slot selection
  • Driver assignment
  • Real-time delivery tracking

Why this matters: Markets doing home delivery need routing tools.

Current workaround: Markets export orders and use external routing software.

Wholesale/Bulk Ordering

Target: Q4 2026

What: Features for institutional buyers (restaurants, schools)

  • Volume pricing tiers
  • Invoice-based payment terms
  • Purchase order generation
  • Custom pricing per buyer

Why this matters: Helps farmers access larger revenue streams.

✅ Strong feature in: Local Line, Local Food Marketplace

🤔 Under Consideration

These are features I'm evaluating but haven't committed to yet. Feedback welcome.

Progressive Web App (Mobile Install)

Install-to-home-screen mobile experience with offline order review and push notifications. Originally slated for January 2026, but deferred to prioritize support and observability work. The current mobile web experience is solid; this would be a polish layer.

Demand level: Medium — asked for, not urgent.

SMS Notifications & Order Reminder Automation

Opt-in SMS order confirmations and automated pickup reminders, beyond today's email system. Originally targeted for February 2026, but deferred while I evaluate SMS carriers and opt-in compliance.

Demand level: Medium — most markets make email work for now.

Gift Cards

Prepaid credit for market purchases. Would require significant payment processing changes.

Demand level: Medium (3-4 markets asking)

Loyalty/Points Program

Reward repeat customers. Complex to build well.

Demand level: Low (1-2 markets asking)

Advanced Inventory Forecasting

ML-based predictions of what to grow/stock based on order history.

Demand level: Medium (interesting but not urgent)

Integrated Marketing Tools

Email campaigns, social media scheduling, etc.

Demand level: Low (better external tools exist)

❌ What I'm NOT Building

Transparency about what's out of scope helps you make informed decisions.

Complex Warehouse Management

Why not: LocallyGrown is built for community markets where farmers manage their own inventory. Full warehouse systems (like Local Food Marketplace offers) require different architecture.

If you need this: Consider Local Food Marketplace instead.

Multi-Tenant White-Label Platform

Why not: I'm focused on serving markets directly, not building platform-as-a-service for other companies to resell.

If you need this: Open Food Network's model might fit better.

Blockchain/Crypto Payments

Why not: Local food is about trust and relationships. Crypto adds complexity without solving real problems for farmers or customers.

If you need this: I don't know anyone building this either 😄

Native iOS/Android Apps

Why not: Progressive Web Apps give 90% of the benefit without app store complexity. As a solo developer, maintaining three codebases isn't sustainable.

Alternative: The responsive web experience works well on mobile today, and a Progressive Web App wrapper is on the Under Consideration list above.

⚖️ How I Prioritize Features

As a solo founder, I can't build everything. Here's how I decide what's next:

1. Market Impact

Does it help existing markets sell more effectively? Features that increase sales get priority.

2. Competitive Gaps

Am I losing prospects to competitors because of missing features? Those move up.

Compare our features to competitors →

3. Implementation Complexity

Will it take 2 weeks or 6 months? I balance quick wins with strategic investments.

4. Support Load

Are current markets struggling with workarounds? Reducing friction matters.

5. Platform Sustainability

Does it make LocallyGrown more stable and maintainable long-term? Tech debt paydown counts.

Feature requests welcome: I track all requests and revisit priorities quarterly. If something you need isn't on this roadmap, let me know.

📅 About These Timelines

I want to be honest about what solo founder development means:

Support Comes First

If existing markets hit issues, development pauses. Keeping 26 markets running smoothly is priority #1.

Timelines Are Estimates

These aren't promises—they're informed guesses. Complex features often reveal surprises.

Flexibility is a Feature

Because I'm not beholden to investors or a board, I can pivot quickly when markets need something urgently.

You Can Influence Priorities

If 5 markets ask for the same thing, it jumps the queue. Your feedback directly shapes what gets built.

Want to Influence What Gets Built?

The best way to shape this roadmap is to become a customer. Active markets get direct input on priorities.

See Pricing & Start Free Trial Discuss Your Needs

Not ready yet? Bookmark this page and check back quarterly. I update it as features ship and new priorities emerge.

Want to understand the 23-year commitment? Read the story →

Last reviewed: 2026-04-24