At the very core of FoodHub is an extensive database that contains many moving pieces. When they are all in sync you can quickly and easily find the buyer or seller you seek to satisfy your needs for anything from dried basil to double-paper wrapped beef. One of the biggest pieces of that database is a hierarchical listing of products we affectionately call the Taxonomy.
When we launched FoodHub in Beta we had approximately 800 products in the Taxonomy. They only included meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices. Now, thanks to the incredible support of our beta testers, intrepid interns and supportive partners, you will find nearly 1300 products, including beverages, grains & beans, baked goods, condiments and specialty products. Each of these products is married to a set of attributes so that, for example, you can find dried gala apples in a cello bag in addition to raw apples.
Our work is not nearly complete, however! Every other Friday we’ll be updating FoodHub with new products. Although it would be lovely to add them the moment you bring a new product to our attention, the database is a fragile thing. First, to ensure that we don’t jeopardize any of the data already in the system, we will batch additions and test them thoroughly on a development server. This means that we ask for your patience after you suggest a new product.
We’ve taken great care to make sure that specific varieties of fruits and vegetables are called out in the Taxonomy. However, we understand that scrolling through dozens of varieties when you enter products you buy or sell can be a cumbersome process. We’re working on a solution that will let you select a more general description—like Sweet Corn—and we’ll keep you updated on our efforts to streamline that process.
Please keep using the Feedback button or send an email to connect@food-hub.org with your product additions and suggestions. Your input guides our future improvements!