The local food industry is navigating one of its most challenging periods in recent memory. Shifts in federal funding, changing grant landscapes, and tighter operating budgets are putting pressure on farms, food hubs, and markets across the country. We’ve felt it in our conversations with prospective customers, and we’ve heard it from the operations we already serve.

So we made changes to our pricing. Here’s why, and what we think it means for you.

What We’re Seeing in the Market

For years, USDA grant programs helped fund technology adoption for local food operations. Those funds made it easier for smaller hubs and farms to invest in platforms like ours, including the upfront onboarding costs that come with getting properly set up.

That landscape has shifted considerably. Grant availability has contracted, and with it, so has the budget flexibility many operations relied on. We’re talking to prospective customers who are deeply interested in LFM but are navigating real constraints, especially around upfront costs. We’re also talking to existing customers who are looking hard at every line item and asking whether they can justify what they’re spending.

The clawback of Build Back Better funds, specifically LFPA and LFS programs, has added another layer of difficulty. Operations that had geared up for those opportunities found themselves with significant holes in their sales plans when funding disappeared. That temporary contraction of the market has been almost equally challenging as the grant landscape shift. And on top of it all, price inflation has made buyers more cautious about every food dollar they spend.

We take that seriously. These aren’t abstract budget conversations — they’re operations trying to stay viable so they can keep getting local food to their communities.

What We Couldn’t Change And Why

We’ve been honest with ourselves about what we can and can’t adjust. One thing that can’t change is guided onboarding.

Local food operations are complex. You’re managing multiple producers, varied product types, custom delivery schedules, and customers who need a seamless experience from day one. The platforms that let you sign up and figure it out yourself work fine for simpler use cases — but LFM is purpose-built for the real complexity of local food distribution, and that complexity requires a real setup process.

Our guided onboarding isn’t an upsell. It’s what makes the platform actually work for you.

What we could change was how that onboarding is bundled.

What We Changed

We made annual billing work harder for customers. If you commit to an annual plan, the Launch Package is included at no additional cost. That’s a $499–$1,499 value depending on your plan tier, and it’s included. We think this is the right trade-off for operations that know LFM is the right fit and are ready to commit.

For operations that need monthly flexibility, the Launch Package cost is spread across the first six months, after which the rate drops to the standard monthly price. You still get the same onboarding experience, the cost is just structured differently.

We kept our ongoing Customer Success Packages separate and clearly defined. After your first year, your Launch Package transitions into an annual Customer Success Package — business reviews, technical assistance calls, staff orientations, and workflow guidance as your operation grows. This is ongoing, relationship-based support that most software companies don’t offer at all.

What Isn’t Changing

The platform. The team. The level of care we put into every onboarding.

Local food is a mission for us, not just a market. We’ve been doing this since 2009 because we believe in what farms, hubs, and markets are building.