Frequently Asked Questions
Email info@shefa.life or call 330.403.3340. You can also use the contact form on our Support page.
No. Shefa is a listing platform that helps you find farms. Every sale is between you and the farm, and each farm is responsible for its own products, listings, and commitments.
No. Shefa includes products from both conventional and organic farms. We believe the most important thing is that customers can connect directly with the growers and choose to buy from the farmers they trust.
Shefa is your Farm Fresh Food Finder. It helps you find local farms and buy directly from them: fresh produce, meat, eggs, baked goods, pantry items, farm and herd shares, and more.
You can browse farms and products as a guest. A free member account lets you save favorites, join farms, and manage any shares or subscriptions in one place.
Online payments are processed securely through Stripe and go directly to the farm.
Contact the farm directly. Pickup times, refunds, and cancellations are set by each farm, so check their listing for details.
No. Each farm is responsible for the safety, labeling, and licensing of its products. Shefa sets standards that farms agree to follow, and we review any concerns you report to us.
The Shefa Shop is a self-serve farm market featuring local farms and homemade food. It is open daily, so you can shop whenever it suits you.
The Berlin Shefa Shop is at 5335 County Road 77, Millersburg, Ohio 44654.
Each farm has its own cash box on its shelf. You can pay two ways:
Cash: place your payment in that farm's cash box.
QR code: scan the QR code on the farm's cash box with your phone to pay the farm directly.
If you buy from more than one farm, pay each farm separately.
Local food, homemade edible products, and farm-grown or farm-produced items. The Shefa Shop is a food market, not a craft or flea market.
Most contributors restock on Monday afternoon and Thursday morning.
We welcome farms and makers offering:
- Local food
-Homemade edible products
-Farm-grown or farm-produced items
Yes. Every contributor needs an active farm account on shefa.life, including those with a shelf in the Shefa Shop. Your farm listing is how customers find you and see what you offer.
Your farm account plan is billed through shefa.life, separately from any Shefa Shop shelf rental. See our plans for current options and pricing.
Each farm creates and manages its own listing, so your products, prices, hours, and availability stay accurate. We are happy to answer questions and walk you through it by phone or email.
We are exploring a listing management service for farms that would rather have someone maintain their account. It is not available yet. Join the interest list and we will let you know if it launches. There is no cost or obligation.
Connect your Stripe payout account. Customers pay through Stripe, payments go directly to you, and Shefa's platform fee comes out of each sale.
-One shelving section, about 3 feet wide and 6 feet tall
-Adjustable shelves
-Optional half shelf (3 feet)
-A climate-controlled space
-Your own cash box with a QR code so customers can pay you directly
Opening promotion
$30/month per shelf
$20/month per half shelf
Regular pricing
$50/month per shelf
$35/month per half shelf
The opening promotion is a limited-time introductory rate. A monthly utility charge is added, and it varies with seasonal energy costs. Shelves are rented by the month and billed on the first of each month.
Shelf rental is separate from your shefa.life farm account plan.
Yes. Approved devices, such as a mini refrigerator, can be plugged into the provided outlets for an additional monthly electrical fee.
Yes, as long as they meet Ohio regulations and you rent electrical service for approved refrigeration.
Generally, no. The Shefa Shop features local food and homemade edible products. Other items may be considered case by case.
No. The Shefa Shop is self-serve. You stock your shelf, set your prices, and receive payment through your own cash box and QR code.
-Stocking and maintaining your shelf
-Pricing your products
-Collecting payments from your cash box
-Keeping your display clean and attractive
-Removing expired or poor-quality products
-Making sure your products meet Ohio regulations
-Keeping your shefa.life listing accurate and up to date
Providing and maintaining the shelf spaces
General building maintenance and utilities
Marketing the Shefa Shop and shefa.life
Managing contributor agreements
Usually not. Ohio cottage food producers do not need a license or home inspection. Products must be made in your primary residence and can only be sold in Ohio. The Ohio Department of Agriculture can sample products at any time.
-Cookies, breads, brownies, cakes, and fruit pies
-Unfilled baked donuts, waffle cones, and pizzelles
-Granola and granola bars
-Dry baking mixes
-No-bake cookies
Anything that must stay cold to be safe, such as cheesecake, pumpkin pie, custard or cream pies, and cream-filled items. Products made with partially hydrogenated oils are also not allowed.
-Product name
-Net weight in U.S. and metric units
-Ingredients from most to least by weight, including sub-ingredients
-Your business name and full street address
-"This Product is Home Produced" in at least 10-point type
-Major allergens declared, for example "Contains: wheat, milk, eggs"
Shefa also asks for a made-on date, for example "Made on: October 4, 2026".
Maple Oat Cookies
Ingredients: unbleached wheat flour, butter (cream, salt), rolled oats, maple syrup, whole cane sugar, eggs, chocolate chips (cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter), vanilla extract, baking soda, sea salt.
Contains: wheat, milk, eggs
Net Wt. 12 oz (340 g) · Made on: October 4, 2026
Willow Creek Kitchen, 1234 County Road 5, Berlin, OH 44610
This Product is Home Produced
Sample label for a fictional bakery.
Any health or nutrient claim requires a full Nutrition Facts panel. The simplest choice is to leave claims off your label.
Freeze-dried foods are processed foods and are not covered by Ohio cottage food rules. Please check with us before stocking any freeze-dried product in the Shefa Shop.
See the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Cottage Food Resources. For questions about a specific product, call ODA at 614-728-6250.
This FAQ is general guidance, not legal advice. Each contributor is responsible for following the laws that apply to their products.