Open Food Network

Self-Hosted

Open-source platform for local food systems & Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Overview

Open Food Network empowers communities to build resilient local food economies by connecting farmers, CSA groups, food hubs, and consumers. Key features include CSA subscription management, direct producer-to-consumer sales, inventory tracking, order aggregation for bulk buying, and customizable storefronts. It supports self-hosting via Docker or Ruby on Rails stack, giving full control over data privacy and local customization. Ideal for CSA initiatives to streamline operations, cut intermediaries, and foster transparent supply chains.

Self-Hosting Resources

Find Official Image on Docker Hub View Source & Docs

Below is a reference structure for docker-compose.yml. ⚠️ Do NOT run blindly. Replace placeholders with official values.

docker-compose.template.yml TEMPLATE


version: '3'
services:
  open_food_network:
    image: <OFFICIAL_IMAGE_NAME>:latest
    container_name: open-food-network
    ports:
      - "8080:<APP_INTERNAL_PORT>"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Key Features

CSA subscription & member management
Customizable producer/hub storefronts
Order aggregation & bulk buying tools

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is Open Food Network hard to install?

Open Food Network offers Docker-based deployment which simplifies setup for technical users; traditional Ruby on Rails installation is also available but needs web hosting familiarity. Community docs provide step-by-step guides for both options.

? Is it a good alternative to proprietary CSA tools like CSAware?

Yes—It’s a cost-effective open-source alternative with core CSA features (subscriptions, member tracking) plus food hub collaboration tools. It lacks CSAware’s advanced analytics but gives full data control and customization.

? Is it completely free?

Yes—Released under AGPLv3, it’s free to use, modify, and self-host. No licensing fees apply, though server/hosting costs may exist depending on your setup.

Top Alternatives

CSAware Search Google

Farmigo Search Google

Tool Info

Pricing Free/Open Source

Category Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Platform Self-Hosted

Pros

⊕ Privacy-focused (self-hosted data ownership)
⊕ Open-source & fully customizable for local CSA models

Cons

⊖ Requires technical setup for self-hosting
⊖ Steeper learning curve for complex hub operations