What is the buying club?
A Buying Club is an arrangement where a group of people pre-orders a bulk quantity of food and then splits up the food so that everyone gets a wholesale price. The Bushwick Food Coop Buying Club was born in April of 2010.
We decided to start our venture as a buying club in order to provide low-cost, organic, local and fair-trade food to members of the Bushwick community while we plan for our own storefront. We charge a very small amount over wholesale costs (called a markup) to keep the prices low while also making a profit that will allow us to open a storefront. Our markup is a fraction of what you pay in a bodega or supermarket – 24% as opposed to 60 – 100%.
Why should I order from the buying club?
If you like to eat organic, local and fair-trade food and want to see the Bushwick Food Coop become a permanent fixture in the community, please support us by ordering your groceries through the buying club!
What can I order from the buying club?
For a list of food that is typically available through the buying club, see [ BUYING CLUB OFFERINGS ].
Do I need to be a member of Bushwick Food Coop to order?
Yes, you need to fill out and sign the membership agreement in order to order from the buying club, if you haven’t already. You can fill it out online [ JOIN ] or at pickup. Becoming a member allows us to operate as a cooperative and eliminates taxes. Workshift hours are required [ WORK SHIFTS ].
When do I need to pay the membership fee by?
You must pay your membership fee in order to order from the buying club or vote. You can pay in cash or check and sign an agreement form at pickup. Membership is a one-time $50 fee, that can be paid in $10 installments every 4 weeks. Low income membership fee level will soon be available.
Can I use EBT/WIC?
We are not yet set up to accept EBT/WIC. We hope to be by April 2012.
What are the workshift requirements?
Workshift requirements are 4 hours every 4 weeks. These can be done by working shifts or in committee. This requirement is suspended while the buying club is on hold. For more information, see [ WORK SHIFTS ].
Why don’t you have a lot of the things I like to buy?
In order to get the lowest possible prices, we are sourcing food for the buying club through wholesale vendors. Unfortunately, this means we have order minimums to meet. For instance, all grains, beans and dry goods come in 25lb bags. That means that if only two people order 2lbs of cornmeal, then we can’t place that order since we would have 21lbs of cornmeal leftover.
In addition to the individual product minimums we have to meet, the vendors have their own minimums as well. Meaning we have to order $500 (and sometimes more) worth of products in order to even place the order in the first place. In order to offer a wide variety of products, we source from several different vendors. The best way to get more products is to order your groceries through the buying club so that we can buy from a variety of vendors.
Where does the food come from?
Currently veggies, meats, eggs and dairy are from Lancaster PA and upstate NY, coffee and baked goods from Brooklyn, and our dry goods are from a small distributor in Ithaca NY. We try to source 1. certified organic (or pastured, hormone free, or organic practices), 2.locally, 3. direct from the farmers or the small processors – and ideally all three. Specific questions about sourcing please contact sourcing@bushwickfoodcoop.org
