Eve Jeffery
Finding it too hard to purchase local produce via social media, partners Vanessa and Leisa thought there must be a better way.
‘I had tried to buy a particular hard-to-find fruit that was advertised on a social media marketplace’, she told The Echo.
‘I was first in line, without a doubt, but I got pipped at the post because when I asked when I could pick it up, I was told it had been sold already. A few weeks later, more of the same fruit was advertised, but I was out and missed the listing’.
Vanessa and Leisa decided to create a system to buy and sell the extra food that locals are growing in their backyards or hobby farms, and after almost two years of design and development, the Yard to You hit the app stores in October 2020.
The app basically hooks up sellers and buyers in real time and purchases are paid for on the spot.
Vanessa says that for buyers, the Yard to You app offers surety that the item listed is available and can be purchased immediately, and for sellers, the in-app payment system makes the whole money exchange process easy.
‘Sellers also list their preferred pick-up times so buyers can choose one that works for them, which removes the need to go backwards and forwards trying to find a suitable time for both parties.
Yard to You also provides the option for sellers to list their produce from any location. ‘So that could be a farmers’ market or their own home – it’s up to them.’
Vanessa says all the app needs now is plenty of sellers for customers to look up.
‘I think the app solves a common problem – for example: how do I find local honey, right now? If sellers list all their great things on the app, everyone can find them all the time’.
‘Users can search up to 500 kilometres away, so even tourists can download the app, while they’re driving through any town, and can pick up local stuff on their way’.
There are fees on both sides using the app – buyers pay the on-line payment system (Stripe) fees, and sellers pay 10 per cent of the listed price to Yard to You, which is predominantly for app maintenance.
Vanessa says the app is not just for farmers. ‘A backyard garden enthusiast who let the pumpkin patch get out of control can use the Y2Y app, it makes it easy for people to list odd extras – they choose a time and location from which to sell.’
The new Yard to You app is now available in app stores and it’s free to download. If you’d like to buy or sell on the Yard to You app, visit their website: www.yardtoyou.com.
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