Monash Vegie Co-op Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a vegie box?

1. Go to Wholefoods, which is on the 1st floor of the Campus Centre.
2. On a shelf in the Grocery – that awesome volunteer-run store where they sell cheap dry-goods – you will find a small box of order forms and money bags. Fill out an order form and put it in an envelope/money bag, and place in the cash tin, which is currently chained to a table leg in the Grocery. This needs to be done by 4pm Thursday if you want vegies the following week.
3. The next Monday, at about 4pm, pick up your box or bag of goodies!
4. If you’re available to sort vegetables from 3pm Mondays, post to say so on the Yahoo!group – that way you’re guaranteed to be counted as an “active member” and you’ll get the cheap prices!

What are the prices?

What’s in the vegie box?

A selection of fruit and vegetables – usually whatever is in season.

Can I choose which vegies I’d like?

No. That would be a logistical nightmare.

Why is Co-op food cheaper than organic food from retail outlets?

Because we buy in bulk at wholesale prices, and because all the labour involved in getting the food to you is done by Co-op volunteers.

If I’m not available on Monday afternoons to sort, what else can I do to become an active member?

There is someone to do each role, but we need backups and people to share them! There are other roles, including:

• Sorting Co-ordinator (making a roster and organising sorters)
• Order Counter (counting the money and the orders)
• Spreadsheeter (making the spreadsheet which tells the sorters how much of each vegie to put in each box)
• Publicity (finding new ways of promoting the co-op and getting new members)
• Member Tracker (keeping track of who’s active, who’s not and whether they’re paying the right prices)
• Vegie Storers (vegies arrive at wholefoods on monday mornings and need to be labelled and put away in the cool room)

What if I only want to buy through the co-op occasionally?

That’s fine – you only get fruit and vegies if you place an order on the previous Thursday afternoon. Also, you only need to volunteer as much as you’re buying through the Co-op. We just have to be sensitive to the fact that for the Co-op to run efficiently, previously-made commitments need to be fulfilled.

How do I get involved in the decision-making process of the Co-op?

Keep up to date with what’s going on with the Yahoo group. We have meetings to decide things, and some minor decision-making will probably occur on the Yahoo!group as well.

What is the relationship between the Co-op and Wholefoods?

The Co-op works very closely with Wholefoods, since we buy fruit and veg off them, and also the Grocery is very much a part of Wholefoods. We’re not a sub-set of Wholefoods, but have a tight-knit working relationship, and there’s heaps of participant cross-over.

Do you guys, like, do social things?

Yes we do! We like to get together and share our organic kitchen creations. You can meet some amazing, interesting, like-minded people through the co-op, so get involved!