Invitation to join TTOC OFC

Transition Town Opotiki Coast

You are invited to join an exciting new initiative.  We are pleased to announce the formation of an Organic Food Co-operative.

This new venture is about to send its first collective order to a NZ Organic food Wholesaler.

The OFC group has worked hard to come up with a sustainable working plan that will allow the OFC to grow into a fantastic new way to get organic food in Opotiki.

If you join us by making an order within 3 days, then we will have your box of food ready for the GRAND OPENING at 2pm on Sun 17th at the BLUE SHED on the corner of Church and Richard St.

The grand opening is a chance for you also to ask questions, contribute suggestions, let us know what kind of help and support you can offer, and importantly, see both the venue and examples of the food co-op in operation.

If you are not sure about whether to join, come along on Sunday to see for yourself the fine quality of food that will be arriving.

We have a 3 stage plan. 

Step 1.  You are invited to become a Full Member for just $20/month, or a $220 annual fee.

For this membership fee, you will be sent a selected price list for dry goods and fruit/vege boxes. 

Kazel has set up a bank account.  Fill in your order, email it back and direct deposit the funds into the OFC account.

Volunteers will then collate the orders and send them off.  When the delivery is made, your order will be boxed up ready for you to collect from The Blue Shed.  (regular opening times still to be decided, probably Friday afternoon and Sat morning.) Or come and join us for the ‘boxing’ party.

Your membership fee goes toward the hire of the rooms in the Blue Shed for storage and packing, and eventually towards a wage for the people working to make this happen.

The order form you will be sent has a limited range of goods from our main supplier.  This enables us to get the maximum benefits from collective bulk buying.  As we get more members we will expand the range. 

The entire order list will be available by email to all members if you wish to order a few items that we have not included.

Most products will be bought at a discounted rate of up to 20% off if there is an order of 12 of any one item.  If we achieve the discounted rate your account will be credited for your next order!

Freight is another cost that is variable.  The order form will make an estimate of your freight costs based on the weight of goods you ordered, and we will calculate your difference between paid and actual for the next order.

We intend to order dry goods monthly initially, extending to fortnightly as we get funds for wages.  Fresh fruit and vege boxes will be ordered weekly.  See the Pdf for details of the vege boxes.

Order forms will be sent out on a Sunday.  Orders and deposits need to be in by Tuesday to be included.  Delivery is expected on Friday.  Distribution will occur Saturday.

We intend to stay in Step one for only as long as it takes until we can achieve step 2.

Step 2.  We will progress to step 2 as soon as we are able to get the necessary equipment such as scales, scoops, buckets for bulk storage, as well as significant quantities goods to have on hand.  A complete list of needs (a wish-list) will be circulated soon, so if there is anything you can help with us let us know.

At this stage Members continue to pay a $20 monthly fee, or $220 annual fee.  Members will be able to either buy from the extended basics and fresh goods price list OR by coming into the venue on specified times to buy direct from the bulk goods supply. (similar to a members only Bin Inn). 

We intend at this stage to try to maximize the local content of our goods for distribution, operating as a kind of small market for local producers.

We will need enough members to be able to pay wages for staff to open distribution centre for extended hours.

Step 3.  This step may not occur.  We may consider moving to step 3 after about 6 months to a year operating at step 2.  If there is sufficient need/interest in changing/developing our working model then we will hold a meeting of all members and the public to discuss the feasibility.

Step 3 requires license to open as a food retailer, GST registration for retail prices on food sold direct to non-members.

Depending on the outcomes of the meeting, Members may continue to pay the $20 fee and get goods at cost, non-members are able to browse and purchase from shop at a retail price – a similar system to Farmlands.

OR we may at that stage dispense with membership altogether and run as a retail outlet.  Stage 3 is a possible path, not a planned destination at this stage.