We'll be upfront with you: shipping costs have gone up. We know that's not what anyone wants to hear, and we understand it may give you pause or send you comparison shopping. That's okay — we get it. But before you go, we'd like to share a little transparency about why we do things the way we do, and why we believe our approach is actually better for you in the long run.
Why We Don't Offer Flat Rate Shipping
You've probably seen other garlic farms and seed suppliers advertise flat rate shipping. On the surface, it sounds simple and appealing. But here's what flat rate shipping often means in practice:
- Small orders pay too much. If you're ordering a ½ lb or 1 lb of seed garlic, flat rate shipping charges you the same as someone ordering 10 lbs. Your per-pound shipping cost skyrockets, and the value of your order takes a hit.
- Large orders aren't really a deal. Sites that offer "free" or flat rate shipping on large orders typically build that cost into the price of the product itself. You're still paying for it — it's just less visible.
At Garlic Gods, we charge shipping based on the actual weight of your order. That means small orders pay small shipping, and larger orders scale accordingly. We think that's the fairest approach for everyone.
What Goes Into Our Shipping Costs
Shipping isn't just postage. Every order that leaves our farm includes:
- Sturdy boxes sized to protect your seed garlic in transit
- Protective filler to keep bulbs from bruising
- Printed labels and packing materials
- Carrier fees, which have increased industry-wide
We absorb a portion of these costs ourselves. The shipping rate you see at checkout is locked in at the time of your order — if carrier rates increase between when you order and when we ship in September, we cover that difference out of pocket. You pay what you were quoted. Period.
We're Farmers, Not Amazon
We want to be real with you: running a garlic farm means carrying costs that most people don't think about — fertilizer, water, land, employees, fuel, government compliance, marketing, credit card processing fees, and yes, shipping. Every dollar we spend on production is a dollar we have to account for somewhere.
We've made a deliberate choice to keep our seed garlic prices as competitive as possible and charge honest, weight-based shipping rather than hiding costs in inflated product prices. We'd rather be transparent with you than play pricing games.
As the cost of everything continues to rise, we are doing everything we can to keep our prices fair for your budget — because at the end of the day, your success as a grower is what keeps us farming.
When We Ship
We begin accepting orders in early spring and continue taking them throughout the summer. All seed garlic ships starting in September, timed for fall planting. Orders placed after October 1st ship within 5 business days.
Pre-orders are fulfilled in the order they are received — so ordering early ensures you get first pick of our largest bulbs.
A Note on Idaho Shipping Restrictions
We ship throughout the United States — with one important exception. Due to Idaho's allium quarantine laws, we are currently unable to ship seed garlic to 21 quarantined counties in Idaho. This is a state agricultural regulation designed to protect Idaho's commercial onion and garlic industry, and it is not something we have control over.
If you're in Idaho, please check our full Idaho shipping restriction update to see if your county is affected before placing an order.
Ready to Order?
We appreciate your support of small, family-run farms. Every order makes a real difference to us, and we don't take that lightly.