Sand Hill Preservation - Page 10

kevinrs · February 23, 2014

I understand all that, but I also see that in some ways they are doing things the hard way, by hand editing the whole website, when the list of varieties could go into a simple database, with availability and price changes changes made easily, and the site updated with a click. Beyond that, without adding online orders, it could be set up to check off what you want on the site, and print out an accurately filled out order form. They would probably need a local volunteer to set it up for them though for it to happen.

Father'sDaughter · February 23, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinrs

I understand all that, but I also see that in some ways they are doing things the hard way, by hand editing the whole website, when the list of varieties could go into a simple database, with availability and price changes changes made easily, and the site updated with a click. Beyond that, without adding online orders, it could be set up to check off what you want on the site, and print out an accurately filled out order form. They would probably need a local volunteer to set it up for them though for it to happen.

What some see as hard work, other's may consider a labor of love. If they are happy doing it the way they are, I say leave them to it!

feldon30 · February 24, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinrs

I've ordered from them for 3 years in a row, but I do think they would make their own lives easier if they modernized their sales setup some. Inventory levels could feed into the catalog pages automatically instead of having to hand edit the pages, and a basic shopping cart could be set up to feed into an order form to print out, if they still don't want to take orders online.
Taking orders online, cost of processing fees should be balanced against time costs of hand processing mailed orders and handling checks.

Agreed. The way he is doing it now is actually more work AND gives a negative experience for the customer compared to just switching to online. Time is money, and if Glenn added up the time wasted with their current archaic system compared to an online system that automatically prints shipping labels and tracks inventory, he'd find that he would come out ahead, possibly in the first year.

Personally, I will not order from a company that takes 3 weeks to tell me they are out of stock. I expect to be able to find this information on the website, and fortunately there are teeming hordes of garden seed companies with online catalogs which are happy to take my money and give me a fantastic customer experience.

I appreciate SSE and Sand Hill, but if you stand still, other younger, smarter people will step in and do the job.

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn

To know Glenn, as I do, and for many years, his main goal is preservation of varieties of all kinds and I don't think you'll ever see any online ordering of any kind.

If he thinks he can make a living without sales, then I applaud him. I think in a few years, he's going to wonder where all the customers went.

barbamWY · March 20, 2014

I received my order today. I sent the check on February 17th. They must be busy. I don't think it has taken this long in the past.

klemmabyna · December 13, 2014

Sent in an order based on info from the website. getting excited about doing my 50 in 5 plan! http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=32971

I don't intend on this to be a commercial, but from the time I made my original post I have searched and researched numerous seed suppliers. what I discovered is that based on availability of the varieties I was looking for, the cost of seed, the shipping charges, and the information provided in this thread, these people would get my first seed order.

to those who say they need online ordering: not so fast! websites for most other vendors are exasperating! the back and forth clicking from variety list to description to shopping cart to variety list is worse than hand writing my order on a printed form. web sellers need to have a page with checkboxes beside a text list of available varieties that can all be entered at one time.

enough of my ramble. and I will follow up with what I get (volunteered for substitutes) and when I get my order.

i'm admittedly old school, having grown up on a farm in iowa in the 60's, but to me, these are the type of vendors I prefer to deal with.

jmo

Mike Maurer · December 15, 2014

I agree, I always order some things from their catalog and I've never been disappointed.
Mike

barbamWY · January 9, 2015

Has anyone received a catalog yet? I ordered based on availability on his web site. I like his prices and size of his packets and shipping is fair.

Mike Maurer · January 12, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by barbamWY

Has anyone received a catalog yet? I ordered based on availability on his web site. I like his prices and size of his packets and shipping is fair.

No I haven't received one yet, but I don't usually get one until near the end of January

klemmabyna · January 22, 2015

like a kid at Christmas!!!

just home from work and such a surprise in my mailbox: my seed order!!!

will post more details when I calm down, but for now all that seems to be missing from what I hoped for is druzba. I expected that, having checked the updated website, and the 2015 catalog I received a couple of days ago.

also, three packages stamped with "Thank you free seed for trial"!!!

now if I could only get rid of the gosh darnoodley snow and frost that is life in southeastern Wisconsin this time of year, i'm ready to get back in the garden!

again, I must repeat: I enjoy dealing with sellers that appear to charge for the time and effort, rather than marketing and management.

jmo

barbamWY · January 22, 2015

I got my catalog yesterday and I see my check was cashed so hopefully my seed order comes soon. I look forward to reading Glens year in review. It makes me feel like he is old friend. I come from a long line of farmers so I can relate. Farming is not for sissies.

**carolyn137** · January 22, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by barbamWY

I got my catalog yesterday and I see my check was cashed so hopefully my seed order comes soon. I look forward to reading Glens year in review. It makes me feel like he is old friend. I come from a long line of farmers so I can relate. Farming is not for sissies.

Just noting that Glenn Drowns is not a farmer for he has a full time job teaching several courses at a nearby HS. Now he is a farmer in the summer putting out all the crops fpr seeds that you see in the catalog, that is true. And he has help from some of his HS students

But his wife Linda is the one who does the website, manages the seed orders and sends out all the poultry to folks with all the papers needed to do that and works closely with the several woman they hire at peak seed time to pack seeds, etc.

I've known Glenn and Linda for over 20 years and we communicate often. You'd have to go a long way to find two people as honest and principled as those two.

Too bad that Glenn does not like to eat tomatoes.

Good news that Linda is a fabulous cook and each Xmas I get a box with her homade thises and thatses.

Carolyn, who hasn't gotten her catalog yet and who was also raised on what we call a truck farm here in the East.

barbamWY · January 22, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Just noting that Glenn Drowns is not a farmer for he has a full time job teaching several courses at a nearby HS. Now he is a farmer in the summer putting out all the crops fpr seeds that you see in the catalog, that is true. And he has help from some of his HS students

But his wife Linda is the one who does the website, manages the seed orders and sends out all the poultry to folks with all the papers needed to do that and works closely with the several woman they hire at peak seed time to pack seeds, etc.

I've known Glenn and Linda for over 20 years and we communicate often. You'd have to go a long way to find two people as honest and principled as those two.

Too bad that Glenn does not like to eat tomatoes.

Good news that Linda is a fabulous cook and each Xmas I get a box with her homade thises and thatses.

Carolyn, who hasn't gotten her catalog yet and who was also raised on what we call a truck farm here in the East.

I don't know how he does it between the poultry, seeds and teaching even with the help he has. I don't envy his long days.

macmex · January 23, 2015

Glenn and Linda are wonderful people. I think, for one, Linda was one of the greatest things that ever happened to Glenn. I remember when he was single. She's a tremendous worker.

I always remember all the extra things they have done for me and my friends. No one can presume to receive such favors. Yet it speaks volumes to me. In seeds, sweet potatoes and poultry Sandhill Preservation has proven to be very generous, always seeking to do the best for me.

George
Tahlequah, OK

Mike Maurer · January 23, 2015

I couldn't agree more with all the nice things being said about Sand Hill, I always wait to order seeds until I get my catalog.... by the way I'm jealous of you guys who have already gotten theirs, ...I'm still waiting!
Mike

klemmabyna · January 23, 2015

not sure if this is how things are going but from the web page:

http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/pages/news.html

2015 PRINTED CATALOG UPDATES
We always try to get the bulk mailing of catalogs sent out every year during the first and second full weeks of January. There is, unfortunately, going to be a slight delay in getting them sent out this year. The USPS has decided that we were not preparing them correctly in the past and that we must do them a new way. Linda is trying to learn how they want them sorted and processed just as quickly as she possibly can so that we can get them sent out as soon as possible. In the past we have started sending out catalogs to the East Coast first and have proceeded across the country to the West. This year, we will begin sending catalogs to the West coast first and will proceed across the country to the East. Any requests made by December 31, will go out in the first mailing. If your request comes in after January 1, 2015, your catalog will go out in the next mailing (which will be in just a few weeks).
The Bulk Mailings were sent out as follows: The Zip Codes beginning with 7, 8, and 9 were sent out on Thursday, January 8, 2015. Zip Codes beginning with 6 were mailed Friday, January 9, 2015. Zip Codes beginning with 5 were mailed on Monday, January 12, 2015. Zip Codes beginning with 4 were mailed on Tuesday, January 13, 2015. Zip Codes beginning with 3 were mailed on Wednesday, January 14, 2015. Zip Codes beginning with 2 were mailed on Thursday, January 15, 2015. And, Zip Codes beginning with 1 and 0 were mailed out on Friday, January, 16, 2015. It has been our experience that it usually takes a week to a week and a half for them to arrive at your home.

February 23, 2014	#136
kevinrs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Littlerock, CA Posts: 218	I understand all that, but I also see that in some ways they are doing things the hard way, by hand editing the whole website, when the list of varieties could go into a simple database, with availability and price changes changes made easily, and the site updated with a click. Beyond that, without adding online orders, it could be set up to check off what you want on the site, and print out an accurately filled out order form. They would probably need a local volunteer to set it up for them though for it to happen.

March 20, 2014	#139
barbamWY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: North West Wyoming Posts: 466	I received my order today. I sent the check on February 17th. They must be busy. I don't think it has taken this long in the past.

December 13, 2014	#140
klemmabyna Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: 53115 Posts: 18	Sent in an order based on info from the website. getting excited about doing my 50 in 5 plan! http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=32971 I don't intend on this to be a commercial, but from the time I made my original post I have searched and researched numerous seed suppliers. what I discovered is that based on availability of the varieties I was looking for, the cost of seed, the shipping charges, and the information provided in this thread, these people would get my first seed order. to those who say they need online ordering: not so fast! websites for most other vendors are exasperating! the back and forth clicking from variety list to description to shopping cart to variety list is worse than hand writing my order on a printed form. web sellers need to have a page with checkboxes beside a text list of available varieties that can all be entered at one time. enough of my ramble. and I will follow up with what I get (volunteered for substitutes) and when I get my order. i'm admittedly old school, having grown up on a farm in iowa in the 60's, but to me, these are the type of vendors I prefer to deal with. jmo

December 15, 2014	#141
Mike Maurer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico Posts: 105	I agree, I always order some things from their catalog and I've never been disappointed. Mike

January 9, 2015	#142
barbamWY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: North West Wyoming Posts: 466	Has anyone received a catalog yet? I ordered based on availability on his web site. I like his prices and size of his packets and shipping is fair.

January 22, 2015	#144
klemmabyna Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: 53115 Posts: 18	like a kid at Christmas!!! just home from work and such a surprise in my mailbox: my seed order!!! will post more details when I calm down, but for now all that seems to be missing from what I hoped for is druzba. I expected that, having checked the updated website, and the 2015 catalog I received a couple of days ago. also, three packages stamped with "Thank you free seed for trial"!!! now if I could only get rid of the gosh darnoodley snow and frost that is life in southeastern Wisconsin this time of year, i'm ready to get back in the garden! again, I must repeat: I enjoy dealing with sellers that appear to charge for the time and effort, rather than marketing and management. jmo

January 22, 2015	#145
barbamWY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: North West Wyoming Posts: 466	I got my catalog yesterday and I see my check was cashed so hopefully my seed order comes soon. I look forward to reading Glens year in review. It makes me feel like he is old friend. I come from a long line of farmers so I can relate. Farming is not for sissies.

January 23, 2015	#148
macmex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tahlequah, Oklahoma Posts: 102	Glenn and Linda are wonderful people. I think, for one, Linda was one of the greatest things that ever happened to Glenn. I remember when he was single. She's a tremendous worker. I always remember all the extra things they have done for me and my friends. No one can presume to receive such favors. Yet it speaks volumes to me. In seeds, sweet potatoes and poultry Sandhill Preservation has proven to be very generous, always seeking to do the best for me. George Tahlequah, OK

January 23, 2015	#149
Mike Maurer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico Posts: 105	I couldn't agree more with all the nice things being said about Sand Hill, I always wait to order seeds until I get my catalog.... by the way I'm jealous of you guys who have already gotten theirs, ...I'm still waiting! Mike

January 23, 2015	#150
klemmabyna Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: 53115 Posts: 18	not sure if this is how things are going but from the web page: http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/pages/news.html 2015 PRINTED CATALOG UPDATES We always try to get the bulk mailing of catalogs sent out every year during the first and second full weeks of January. There is, unfortunately, going to be a slight delay in getting them sent out this year. The USPS has decided that we were not preparing them correctly in the past and that we must do them a new way. Linda is trying to learn how they want them sorted and processed just as quickly as she possibly can so that we can get them sent out as soon as possible. In the past we have started sending out catalogs to the East Coast first and have proceeded across the country to the West. This year, we will begin sending catalogs to the West coast first and will proceed across the country to the East. Any requests made by December 31, will go out in the first mailing. If your request comes in after January 1, 2015, your catalog will go out in the next mailing (which will be in just a few weeks). The Bulk Mailings were sent out as follows: The Zip Codes beginning with 7, 8, and 9 were sent out on Thursday, January 8, 2015. Zip Codes beginning with 6 were mailed Friday, January 9, 2015. Zip Codes beginning with 5 were mailed on Monday, January 12, 2015. Zip Codes beginning with 4 were mailed on Tuesday, January 13, 2015. Zip Codes beginning with 3 were mailed on Wednesday, January 14, 2015. Zip Codes beginning with 2 were mailed on Thursday, January 15, 2015. And, Zip Codes beginning with 1 and 0 were mailed out on Friday, January, 16, 2015. It has been our experience that it usually takes a week to a week and a half for them to arrive at your home.