What is a buying club?
A food buying club is a group of people who pool their food orders
so that they may purchase food and products from the warehouse
at wholesale prices. Members of a buying club share the work and
expenses involved in acquiring and distributing the food to their
group. Each member contributes to the buying club by doing at
least one job, and the buying club in turn benefits from the talents
and skills of many.
Why join one?
In
addition to being able to access and purchase high quality natural
and organic foods and products and the cost savings available
from buying directly from the warehouse, there are many other
reasons to start or join a buying club:
*to get to know other people with similar interests from your
community
*to support organic farmers
*to be a part of a cooperative food system that is owned and controlled
by *people who use the products, and to work together to serve
your needs
*to learn new skills, such as using a computer or bookkeeping
*to revitalize your neighborhood, small town or rural area by
gaining access to high quality natural foods and products which
might not otherwise be available
*to learn more about food, nutrition and cooking
Buying clubs and the co-op principles
Buying clubs operate by the Co-op Principles: they are member-owned
and member-controlled. Each member is allowed one vote in the
decision-making process, and each buying club draws up its own
set of rules, based on the needs of the group. As in all cooperatives,
membership is open to all who are willing to accept membership
responsibilities. Many buying clubs call themselves co-ops, but
actually, in many states, the word “co-op” is a legally
controlled term which is limited strictly to use by organizations
that are incorporated as co-ops. Therefore, unless a buying club
is incorporated as a co-op, it actually is a cooperatively organized
group which operates in the spirit of cooperatives.
How a buying club works
Members
prepare their household orders.
All household orders from all members of the buying club are combined.
All items which meet wholesale (case) minimums are combined into
a group order.
The group order is phoned, mailed, or sent electronically to Blooming
Prairie.
The buying club either picks up its order at the warehouse, or
meets a truck at a local distribution site.
The group members unload the order and pay for it with a group
check.
Members divide the group order into individual household orders.
Member (household) invoices are paid, the distribution site and
equipment are cleaned, bookkeeping is completed, and members take
their food home.
For more information about starting a buying club or joining Carolina
Organic Growers, Inc., please contact
us.
