Interested in joining the Rockaway Buying Club? Please read the below on how it all works. This information, while lengthy, will give you a better insight on how the club operates and what you can expect.
What is a Buying Club?
A buying club is an arrangement among a group of people who purchases items in bulk and then splits up that item so that everyone gets lower prices. People can form buying clubs to gain access to any type of product — for example new parents who want wholesale prices on diapers, baby wipes, formula, etc. In our case, our buying club provides low-cost organic, local and/or fair-trade food to members of the Rockaway community.
the benefits of joining
There are many reasons to join. The food we purchase must follow a strict set of criteria - organic, local, and/or fair-trade. Sometimes the farms we source from choose to not pursue organic certification in which case their farms are still cultivated according to organic practices and are chemical-free. Of course if that is the case, or if a farm abides by conventional practices, we will let you know. Transparency is our goal! Any meat or animal byproducts such as cheese, eggs, milk etc. must come from animals that have had access to pasture and received feed that was free from GMOs, antibiotics and hormones.
By supporting the buying club, you’re also supporting family-owned farms in the tristate area and reducing the miles (and therefore carbon emissions) your food travels from farm to plate. Your dollar can say so much more than just your food preferences – join the buying club and you’re supporting a sustainable food system!
How to order
Every other Friday you will receive an email from us with a link to a Google Form. On this form you can select the items you wish to purchase. (Keep in mind sometimes farmers over estimate yields so we occasionally don't get one or two items on the order form). You will have until Tuesday morning to complete the form and submit your order. The following weekend, we have pickup at the Rockaway Brewing Co. (415 Beach 72nd Street). We also offer delivery anywhere on the Rockaway peninsula for a flat $10 fee per order.
HOW DO I PAY FOR MY ORDER?
For payment we accept all normal methods (cards, cash, checks, Apple Pay, Venmo, Cash App). Please keep in mind, if you place an order and do not pick up and pay for it, the buying club will lose money and will not be able to place more orders. We are fronting money to purchase these groceries and are therefore trusting everyone to complete payment on time and in full. If orders are repeatedly not picked up, we retain the right to refuse your order.
That said, everyone gets busy and caught up from time to time. So to help ensure that no orders are forgotten, we send out email reminders the night before pickup.
How does pick up work?
We schedule pickups for every other Saturday and Sunday at the Rockaway Brewing Co. (415 Beach 72nd Street) between 9am and 1pm. When placing your order, you’ll be able to select your preferred pickup time(s), and we’ll give you a one-hour window when you can pick your order up. When you come and pick up, we ask that you pack your own order, though if for any reason you’re unable to pack your own order, we are happy to pack your order for you ahead of time if you select that option on your order form.
CAN I VOLUNTEER?
YES — we always appreciate volunteers! By choosing the volunteer option on the form, and volunteering for four or more hours, you will receive 15% off your order! Thank you!
what are my responsibilities as a buying club member?
Our only standing requirement is if you place an order, you come to pick up! There is no long term obligation to join the buying club and there is no order minimum you have to reach to place an order. You can order $5 worth of vegetables once a month if you want! That said, we want you to think of the buying club as an alternative to the grocery store, so if there's something you don't see on our availability list that you want to get through the buying club, let us know and we'll do our best to get it.
QUESTIONS?
Have questions about the Buying Club? Email us at rockawaybc@gmail.com.