And maybe you're not prepared to envision yourself running a fruit stand or CSA and spending time with agricultural regulators of one kind or another. Yet, anyway.
What to do?
Well, you can get to know your local organic wholesaler and see if they do food clubs.
Our wholesaler requires your club to buy a minimum of $150 a month. That's really all. You murmur among yourselves as to who wants what when where and how, then a call is placed or email sent, and the next day your representative appears at the dock with a check and heads home to the scales (you'll need scales) to do any splitting of orders (most things are in 25 or 50 pound bags). Then typically either everyone comes over for a distribution party or you head out with the prepped load and meet folks at a prearranged location.
We've tended to do this the latter way as I am out in the sticks and my friends all still work in town. Benefits include: I get to see them once in a while, I get kudos, my friends and I get wholesale prices on bulk items that are organically grown, wholesome and nutritious, we get to educate ourselves on where our eats come from and what it takes to move food around, and we get to support a burgeoning local bean-and-grain farming and supply chain.
The food club can be about as informal as you want. With a full-blown co-op, you can do more, and for more people, but it's more complex and there are more opportunities for some of those involved to burn out on the inevitable stress. You need not invest so much of yourself in the food club that when it starts to go down, and they can do so for many reasons, just like a co-op or business, your heart and soul need not go down with it.
And should the need arise, you can always start it up again. Assuming there are still farmers, wholesalers and trucks when that time comes.
Great post. I vote for the informal kind! I participated in one years ago, and we loved it. You have a better deal on the minimum order than we did however!
ReplyDeleteHere, the co-op is run out of a building for members only buying. It offers either a full markup for non-working members, or a minimum number of monthly hours to work to get a discount. Sadly I found it difficult to get away for even 4 hours a month (not counting the drive either way), especially when kidding season is upon us. And just as sadly, the full markup isn't competitive enough for enough items to make it worth an annual membership. Sounds like you've worked it out beautifully.
Yes, we did it that way for decades and ran ourselves ragged.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't say so anywhere on paper, but the wholesaler lets us skip a month now and then if we can't make minimum. But you build the relationship first. That way they know you won't hit 'n run.