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BUYING CLUB FAQ
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 (with prices) 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. 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. 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. Check back with us soon.
What are the workshift requirements?
Workshift requirements are 4 hours every 4 weeks. These can be done by working shifts or in committee. 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?
Abner Lapp’s Clearview Farm — Recently the Sourcing Committee went down to rural Pennsylvania to stay with Abner Lapp and his family. We saw the cows at pasture and brought in for milking, chickens eating up grasses and insects, and ate the fresh dairy, chicken, eggs and meat in this idyllic pastoral Amish setting.
Lancaster Farm Fress Cooperative offers up produce, dairy and meat from various small farms in Lancaster county. The items we choose for the buying club are all organic. All animals are grass-fed and hormone free.
Regional Access – A community-oriented, grassroots company, Regional Access provides ecologically responsible, locally grown food to New York state. Over the last 20 years they have creating a sustainable state-wide distribution system and today they are a leading purveyor of specialty and natural foods. We order many of our bulk dry goods from here.
Albert’s Organics – a pioneer in the organic fresh foods industry since opening in 1982. America’s largest, most knowledgeable organic fresh foods specialist with distribution centers across the US. We are ordering many fresh items like tofu from Albert’s as well as produce during the winter season.
FingerLakes Farms – All natural local produce, meat and dairy grown in the FingerLakes region of New York State. No hormones or pesticides. Animals are pasture raised and grass fed.
Cayuga Pure Organics grows delicious organic grains and beans in upstate New York.
Brooklyn Roasting Company provides organic, fair-trade, locally roasted coffee beans.
Roberta’s Breads, baked fresh in their Bushwick bread oven.
Dr. Cow, a small, environmentally conscious Brooklyn company researching and creating innovative artisan foods. We buy amazing natural raw vegan cheeses with few ingredients and amazing flavor.
If you have any questions or would like to get involved in the Buying Club, please email us at sourcing@bushwickfoodcoop.org.
