August 6th, 2019: Peaches, Apricots, Plums

HI FOLKS,

Thanks and welcome to my first attempt at a co-op fruit order!

If you found this link on facebook and want to know what it is: know that I've taken over a previously closed e-mail list of friends who ordered fruit together. Read more about that here.

I have chosen to ALLOW 1/4 and 1/2 box orders, so if you've already collected orders from friends, please submit their orders separately if you can so we have a clear idea of exactly how many people are represented by this list.

This order will include

• early peaches (almost, but not quite freestone)
• early golden plums (small but sweet from the heat!)
• apricots (limited supply, divvied up by lottery)

The order form includes a full description of the system as I've re-imagined it. Please follow this link to submit your order. You will be able to edit it before the deadline.

As with Wendy Luella, neither of us could/can do this alone without your help. I've imagined a "co-op" system with tasks divvied up into 4-5-hour units of work, reimbursable to each volunteer for each "shift" at $60 per task. This time around, I am going to be a part of all the tasks, but would love to have a team available to share the responsibility going forward.

With the charges laid out in the form, at a minimum order of 48 total boxes (the size of the last order), this should break even with everyone receiving some fruit and/or cash for their time making this happen. Please indicate on the order form below which, if any, roles you would like to volunteer for.

If the order is too small for me to compensate everyone the full $60, I hope you'll understand that this is an experimental dry-run....but if we get lots of 1/2 and 1/4 box orders, all the volunteers may choose to be compensated more, or we may choose to donate any excess, or create a "truck rental fund" for future orders.

Thanks and looking forward to full pantries and freezers!

Jolene
613.583.2569

THIS FORM IS FROM LAST YEAR AND IS FOR REFERENCE ONLY.

What is this place?

Right now the Community Fruit Co-op comprises of me, Jolene Simko, debatably Ayla Fenton, and Ivan Stolikovich (by virtue of being the person who talked me into it)

HOW DID THIS COME TO BE?

I took over management of a closed e-mail group previously run by local artist & musician, Wendy Luella Perkins. Run for the last few years with friends and neighbours only, I decided to open it up to the community winds, to see what/who comes up to keep it moving.

The fruit order is sent via Tara Neufeld in Godfrey who has the direct relationship with the farmers in Niagara. All fruit is organic. 

Wendy Luella was able to reliably find drivers for gas money alone or no compensation whatsoever. As a non-motorist myself and with different/younger circle of friends and acquaintances, I can't just rent a truck, I know many folks who are only able to afford this fruit as a work trade.

With that in mind, I've raised Wendy's $2/box fee to $5 to offer modest compensation for those who volunteer to be involved in the coordination, sorting and delivery. After Wendy Luella backed out last year, no one has come forward, so at the 11th hour (and with some notable prodding from Ivan Stolikovich) I stepped forward.

Ideally, I'd like this to become an ad-hoc co-op as I can't reliably be available next year, or even next month, do keep this running. Please 

HOW IT WORKS:

It is really touch & go, with 2-4 order periods per year, 48 hours notice to order, and less than a week to pick-up day. Since joining the list a few years ago, I've learned quite a few tips and tricks to cooking/freezing/preserving on such short notice. That will likely be a separate post.

These contraints are the main reason this group exists more as a community service than a business - and why we can access fresh organic fruit at +/- $2lb.

Each ordering wave starts with an email out to the big list letting you know what is available for this order. You submit your individual order by the deadline.

Orders are compiled and sent to Tara. When the order arrives, volunteers drive 45mins north of Kingston to Taras with CASH (meaning we are fronting up to $3000 for orders not paid in advance) pick-up the fruit (which is often over 1000lbs of fruit) and bring it back to the pick-up location for sorting.

In my experience (last 3 years), the fruit has been excellent quality and delicious. If you are not satisfied with what you receive, please let us know asap and we will pass that on to the farmers through Tara. Likewise if you love what you get, let us know. Farmers love to hear feedback on what they grow.

We usually have two-four orders in a summer: a variety of fruit at different times, which MAY include cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, grapes, and pears.