Co-op for bulk foods, other.

[MamaLiberty]

I'd like to form a co-op to purchase bulk foods, herbs and some other things. I have one excellent supplier already for natural foods and herbs, and would search diligently for anything else folks wanted. This would work for almost anything that can be bought in bulk, even some clothing and such.

I will receive the shipments, repackage and label them, and hold for pick-up by local folks (Weston, Crook, Campbell counties) or reshipment at additional cost. I'll keep records and send out regular announcements/newsletters of proposed buys, as well as receive and process your requests, do customer relations with the various providers and answer questions the best I can.

Please contact me if you are interested. We need to talk about whether we want a yearly membership or per transaction fee, among other things. Those who bought a lot might prefer the membership, and those who just wanted a few things or to try it out could opt for the per transaction fee. Let me know what you think of it.

If anyone knows of some special legal hoops we'd have to jump through to do this, please let me know. ML

[motherfrog]

ML, Would this be for grains, fruits, vegetables (fresh? or dehydrated?) and meats of all  varieties? I would li9ke to get grains and herbs and spices, sugar,etc. Also fruits and veggies-I like to dehydrate stuff. Depending on cost ( I am still trying to get the business established) I  and my kids are IN. motherfrog

[elk]

I would like to know if you can get me natural growing seeds.  I plant most of my own veggies when I can but I'm sparse on seeds... can you get viable seeds?  (i.e. seeds that will yield further reproducing plants? aka, "non monsanto" seeds?)  I'd be interested, even before I ever get around to visiting, just want to know the details and pricing.

Thanks.

[Daveasxx]

Elk,

Did you used to be Hunter?  Anyway, google is a great tool.  Here's a place to start.

Dave

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADBF_enUS24US24&q=survival+seeds

[MamaLiberty]

Thanks, Dave. I have lots of excellent sources, but I'm always happy to learn about more. I have always bought in bulk when I can, but being alone here makes that impractical for lots of things - thus I'm looking for partners.

Motherfrog, we can get almost anything that is not perishable. I don't have storage facilities for anything that needs refrigeration. With game so plentiful here, it would seem much more economical to make our own jerky or dried meat products, rather than buy them elsewhere. I would be willing to help with butchering and sausage making for a share of the kill.

Elk, there are many sources for garden or field seeds which breed true. Saving seed for further crops is, however, not always so simple! Things crossbreed quite easily and sometimes you get quite a surprise unless you take special care with those plants you wish to save seed from. I have extensive experience in this area, so PM if you'd like to talk about it. I can help you get set up so you can save seed and get the results you want.

[Daveasxx]

With game so plentiful here, it would seem much more economical to make our own jerky or dried meat products, rather than buy them elsewhere

Very true.  I've hunted and fished 90% of the meat my family eats every year.  Every once in a while you still need a T-bone from a Angus

Dave

[MamaLiberty]

I've never been able to afford a T bone from an angus or any other cow... I've never had one. And I'm afraid I'm too Scotch to actually enjoy anything that cost $8. a pound anyway.

Luckily, I'm happy with very small amounts of meat, and overjoyed to have wild game of any kind. Guess you don't miss what you don't know about. <G>

[Edited 11/24]  Got to thinking about this and have to amend it to say I never BOUGHT a T-bone steak. <G> We used to have our own beef and we always got at least some of it back in steaks, though we used most of it as stew, roasts and burger. It's been nearly 40 years, but hard to believe I could just have forgotten how good that was fresh off the grill. sigh... And I'd LOVE to try one from an angus.

[motherfrog]

ML,
   I definitely want some Heritage seeds of most any variety. I want bulk grains as well. Are we talking canned goods as well? BTW are you going to come by with any of your leather stuff any time soon? I now have room for some other things as I sold the large pieces of furniture at the store. I will get a table or two and hopefully a clothes rack or two. Do you know of anyone that has store-style clothes racks to sell?  motherfrog

[MamaLiberty]

I don't have anything made yet, but I'll bring something as soon as I can. Winter is when I sew.

We can get anything we want in the co-op, but I suspect canned goods are so cheap and easy to get locally that it wouldn't be worth it when you consider the cost of shipping. We'll have to see what is available and what people want. For example, Pamida here in Newcastle has nice canned vegetables and kidney beans, chili beans on sale for 33 cents a 15 oz can.

Whole grains and grain products are absolutely something I want to get. Also all kinds of herbs, spices, seasonings, sea salt and other things necessary for canning and preserving like bulk powdered vitamin C, citric acid and other things. We can grow many herbs, and I'll offer my home grown as soon as I have enough, but in the meantime we can get much better deals than the 99 cent packs at the grocery store - when even that is available. The health food stores here are HORRIBLY expensive, that I've seen.

There are many kinds of seeds available, and we should have no problem getting them. I'll put together a list and we'll see who wants how much of what so we know what to order.

[elk]

That's the one upside in Virginia, most of the health food stores out here are pretty cheap.  That's of course, a relative term, I'm sure.  Spices are cheaper at "Health and Wellness" than they are when on sale at Food Lion.  Surprisingly.

[75patch]

My personal preference for seed is from Seeds of Change.  Bulk, small orders, all kinds of plants and seed.  All organic and viable.  Just type in seedsofchange.com after the www dot bit.
I have been getting their seed and plants for over 10 years now.

patch

[motherfrog]

Yeah, I kinda figured can goods would be rather high. I want to get away from them as much  as I can. All those preservatives to give them shelf lives of years and years just cannot be all that good for us as a constant diet. I have a lot to learn about going natural. It will not be easy to male the change and get prepared for fresh and dehydrated from fresh, but I am more than ready and also willing, I like the idea of a co-op.

[JenS]

I concur with your sentiment, motherfrog.

[John]

I would be interested to know how cheap these sources are.  I frankly have never found any "bulk" dealers that were cheaper than the grocery stores.  Let me know a few exemplary per-ounce prices, if you can and are so inclined.  Till then, Smiths has case deals occasionally (semi-anually?), and there are some *great* deals indeed.  Peace!

[MamaLiberty]

John, I don't think any of us have mentioned the word "cheap." The kinds of bulk grains and foods I want are not available locally at ANY price. A few things are available in small packages at the health food store in Rapid City, but at very high prices.

My primary source is in Southern California. It is a 7th Day Adventist store in Loma Linda, CA. They ship natural and whole grain products to members all over the world. Members and others. I'm not a member, but have shopped there for nearly 40 years. I trust the quality and the price.

Shipping will be the killer, which is why I figured it would be a good idea to order as much as possible at a time and split it with other people.

My goal is to be able to get whole grains and flours, dried fruits, herbs and seasonings, and other food items with the assurance that there are no dangerous chemicals or pollutants in them. There may well be other sources, and I will research to find them too.

As soon as I can, I'll post a list of the items I propose to get and the price we'd need to pay to get them. Then, once I collected the orders and money, I'd send for the stuff. Local people could pick it up here, and those who wished to have me ship it would just pay the extra shipping costs.

Does that seem reasonable?