I would like to start a "Bountiful Baskets" co-op in our area! The website and blog are here at Bountiful Baskets. Here is what I have learned thus far:
- Bountiful Baskets is a co-op delivered once every two weeks- Everything about the co-op is volunteer, even the owners volunteer. Only the truck drivers are paid. That is why the food is so cheap.
- They buy food directly from regional produce sellers and it is trucked in to town.
- For $15 you receive two baskets of food - one vegetables, one fruit. Everyone I have talked to says that it is about $35-50 worth of food. I imagine it is comparable to the prices at Aldi, but what I saw was higher quality, a much nicer variety, and not sorted through by a gazillion people before you.
- For an additional $10 you can get a box or organic veggies and fruits instead.
- They also have the most amazing bread EVER. ( And I am a person who makes her own bread, always!) Organic whole grain bread or white sourdough, no preservatives.
- You do not have to buy every shipment. You put your order in online about 4 days before.
- All members of the co-op are expected to volunteer every 4-5 pickups.
- We will need 4 volunteer site coordinators to spread the load and allow flexibility for vacations/sick kids etc. I am being trained here in Montana so I can train the other VCSs when I get home (if there is enough interest.)
- We must have 30 people sign a paper expressing interest to get a pickup in Evansville.
- I have read online some complaints that you get the same foods several times in a row. Since I eat in season usually, anyway, this doesn't bother me but I can see that some people get sick of peaches in the summer, apples in the fall, lettuce and pineapple in the spring, etc.
- What produce I saw on Saturday was of excellent quality. Some would need to be eaten right away. Supposedly it is not stored for long periods of time, nor is it sprayed with extra preservatives, so you need to care for and eat accordingly. If the food is not of good quality, the VSC notifies the co-op head and the girls say here it is always remedied by the next shipment.
- There are always add-ons of various types. This week was a big box of pineapples, a big box of cherries, and an "italian selection" of vegetables of very nice quality, and fresh herbs too. I will try to post photos when I get them off my camera.
- The organic box was definitely smaller, but the produce was beautiful inside (I took a peek!) and of excellent variety.
- What struck me most was the long line of people waiting to pick up their food, many of which were obviously low income. Beautiful to see them picking up big boxes of fresh produce! My friend has had a woman stop her in the street and cry on her shoulder thanking her for making fresh food available for her family. Pretty neat.
- Each site caps out at 96 orders, so you will never have to do more than that (at that point you must split the site and get a new set of coordinators and volunteers)
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| About half the baskets left during pickup at the high school drop-off |
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| Inside the baskets |
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| The organic produce box comes pre-packed |
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| This week the add-ons were cherries |
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| The boxes contain our "basket" of produce for the week. The lower right bag contains our "Italian pack" veggies, and the upper right the five loaves of sourdough bread. Not pictured are 5 loaves or organic whole grain bread. All this for under $50. |
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