Preorders: The What, Why, & How for Online Farm Stores

For most online farm stores, demand rarely moves in a straight line throughout the year.

Customers rush in for whole turkeys in the fall, then shift to quarters and halves in winter. In the summer, folks are ready to buy beef, chicken, and anything else that fits in a smoker. 

These swings ultimately shape how you plan inventory, schedule processing, and keep buyers informed — and preorders can help you stay ahead of the curve. 

This article takes a deep dive into how preorders work for your farm, how to set them up, and what tools help you manage the entire process without creating extra work for your team.

Why Preorders Matter for Online Farm Stores

A farm store’s success hinges on proper timing. 

Animals take months to raise, processing dates typically stay fixed, and holiday demand always seems to sneak up — no matter how prepared you feel.

Early commitments via preorders keep cash flowing throughout the year and show you which products are most in demand.

Preorders are truly a win-win — farms use them to plan how many animals to raise, when to schedule processing, and how to manage seasonal promotions, while customers get the products they want, right when they want them.

For example, if you have turkeys that sell out every year, preorders let you gather accurate numbers well before November. That way, you know exactly how many to raise, and your buyers secure their holiday staples without the last-minute scramble.

Common Farm Products That Fit Preorders

Almost every farm offers at least one product that fits naturally as a preorder. Items with long lead times, seasonal demand, or limited availability work best — and gathering commitments early benefits both the farm and the customer.

Here are some products that often work well for preorders:

• Whole turkeys sell quickly during the fall and make a strong preorder item.
• Quarters, halves, and wholes of beef or pork work well for customers planning freezer space.
• Holiday bundles and gift boxes benefit from early reservations to manage demand.
• Limited specialty cuts with small inventory runs give buyers first access to rare items.

Each of these products moves quickly during peak seasons or requires careful planning to raise, process, and package. 

Offering preorders gives you valuable insight into how much inventory to prepare, when to schedule processing, and how to organize deliveries or pickups. At the same time, your customers lock in the products they want, avoiding last-minute disappointment and ensuring a smoother buying experience.

Choosing the Right Preorder Window

Your preorder window should line up with how long it takes to raise, process, and package each product. A window that opens too late leaves buyers scrambling, while one that opens too early risks losing momentum.

Here are a few tips to plan timing:

• Six to eight weeks ahead works well for poultry, giving buyers time to reserve holiday birds.
• Eight to 12 weeks suits bulk beef or pork, letting customers plan freezer space.
• Short, one to two week windows fit seasonal bundles or limited specialty cuts, creating urgency without rushing buyers.

Your goal is to give customers enough time to commit without dragging the window out too long. A clear open-and-close date can also create a sense of urgency, helping you forecast demand and lock in processing plans with more confidence.

How Preorders Work in GrazeCart

GrazeCart supports preorder products through a dedicated product type and checkout flow. With a simple but flexible setup, it gives you a surprising amount of control over how you manage production, fulfillment, and communication. 

Here’s the flow at time of writing:

1. Create a preorder product: Start in your product dashboard and assign the item as a preorder. Add the product name, pricing, and details. Then, set a preorder schedule to control when you will prepare and deliver the item.
2. Set checkout options: Configure the preorder to use its own checkout path. Customers complete the purchase as a separate one-off order, keeping it separate from regular orders or subscriptions.
3. Manage subscriptions: Give subscription customers early access to seasonal items. The preorder order stays separate, so their regular deliveries remain on schedule.
4. Control inventory: Set quantity limits to match expected harvests or processing numbers. Allow backorders if additional inventory will arrive later, so items don’t appear sold out too soon.

As a practical example, let’s say your online farm store wants to sell whole turkeys for Thanksgiving. 

You’d start by creating a preorder product and setting your limit, say 50 birds, so you don’t accidentally oversell. Then, you’d assign a schedule that matches your processing dates and allow backorders only if a second batch becomes available. 

This way, you can track exactly how many turkeys customers have reserved, plan processing efficiently, and give buyers confidence that their holiday staple will be ready on time.

Preorder Pricing and Deposits

Not every preorder uses the same payment structure. Some farms collect full payment up front, while others prefer a deposit and a final invoice after weighing each item. 

Here are a few guidelines to help you choose:

• Flat-rate items (e.g., whole turkeys, fixed bundles) work well with full payment at checkout.
• Variable weight items often use an estimated price, with the final total calculated after processing.
• Deposits help secure early commitments without asking buyers to pay the entire cost months in advance.

GrazeCart supports estimated pricing and balance collection, so you can choose the payment flow that best fits each product. Clear expectations up front make the entire process smoother for both your customers and your team.

Related Read: Managing Catch Weight vs. Fixed Weight: 6 Top Tips

How To Market Preorders 

Preorders only work when customers know they exist — and awareness doesn’t happen on its own.

Most farms start their marketing efforts via email since it reaches their most committed buyers (and likely most interested audience) first. Social announcements, product labels, and on-site prompts (like pickup-day signage or order-insert cards) also help customers connect the dots.

GrazeCart supports these efforts through Drip and Mailchimp integrations, along with product gating options that help you capture email addresses before customers join a waitlist or preorder window.

To keep momentum strong, many farms use tactics such as:

• Seasonal countdown emails: Send out a short series letting customers know when preorder windows open and close.
• Exclusive early access: Give subscribers or loyalty members the first shot at high-demand items.
• Limited-quantity notices: Call out when inventory runs low so buyers act before the window closes.
• Pickup reminders: Add preorder info to your weekly pickup emails so customers stay aware of what’s coming up.
• Social proof posts: Share photos of last year’s turkeys, cuts, or bundles to nudge buyers toward an early commitment.

These small but frequent touchpoints keep customers tuned in, helping you build steady interest long before your preorder window ends.

Related Read: Social Media for Farmers: 8 Tips & Tools for Attracting Customers

Set Up Preorders at Your Online Farm Store Today

Preorders give your farm a predictable way to plan production, manage seasonal surges, and help customers secure the products they want without last-minute stress.

With GrazeCart’s preorder tools, you can gather commitments early, match inventory to real demand, and keep buyers informed from start to finish.

Want to see how GrazeCart can support your online farm store? Check out the pricing page to find the plan that works best for your business.