A bulk buying club is a group of people with similar food preferences who come together to buy food in bulk. All participants of a bulk buying club are involved in the planning, shopping, sorting, and delivering of food. These clubs enable individuals to work with a group of like-minded people to get more with their food dollars. All bulk buying clubs have the same underlying purpose: to provide nutritious food at a lower cost for a group of people.There different types of bulk buying programs: Food Box Programs, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), Food Cooperatives, and Bulk Buying Clubs.
- Food box programs are typically managed by a third-party distibutor that buys food in bulk and distributes food boxes to members for a fee. Week-by-week ordering is typical of these programs.
- CSA members pay at the onset of the growing season for a share of the anticipated harvest; once harvesting begins, they receive weekly shares of vegetables and fruit, in a vegetable box scheme.
- Food cooperatives are legally incorporated cooperative organizations where members are owners, which gives them access to lower priced food purchased in bulk by the cooperative.
- Bulk buying clubs are often smaller, more informal groups of friends or neighbours that come together to buy food in bulk to save money.
Adapted from: Bulk Buying Club Best Practices Toolkit – Food Security Network of Newfoundland and Labrador
FLORENCEVILLE & HARTLAND AREA
- Buckwheat Flats (Delivery or pick-up in Knowlesville)
FREDERICTON & SURROUNDING AREA
- Back Acre Farm- (CSA) Available in Woodstock and Fredericton area
- Bunker Hill Farm (CSA) Available in Fredericton area
- Community Food Smart (Food Box) Fredericton region
- Fredericton’s Fresh is Best at the Fredericton Community Food Centre freshisbestclub@hotmail.com
- Gagetown Fruit Farm Adopt a Tree Program (Apple CSA) Fredericton pick up
- Jemseg River Farm (CSA) Available in Fredericton
- Local by Atta (Weekly Basket) Available in Moncton
- Strawberry Hill Farm (CSA) Available at select locations in the Fredericton, Woodstock, Nackawic, Moncton, Hartland, and Florenceville areas
MIRAMICHI & SURROUNDING AREA
- Ferme la Belle Besogne – (CSA) Available in the Neguac and Tracadie-Sheila areas
- La Ferme Pouce Vert / Green Thumb Farm– (CSA) Available at designated locations in Rogersville, Saint-Ignace and Saint-Louis
- La Ferme Terre Partagée (CSA) Available in the Rogersville area
MONCTON & SURROUNDING AREA
- Alva Farm (CSA) Pick up locations include Victoria Park (Moncton) and the Dieppe Market
- Broadfork Farm (Market Food Club) Available at the Dieppe Market
- It’s Good/C’est Bon Inc., click here to see the membership form – 201-96 Norwood Avenue, Moncton NB, E1C 6L9
- La Cuisine éducative Mapleton- Frais et sain pour moins, Moncton
- Nature’s Route Farm – (CSA) Available in Sackville, Dieppe, and Moncton
- Codiac Organics
- Really Local Harvest Baskets (CSA) Moncton and surrounding area
- Fresh for Less Food Purchasing Club (food box) Tantramar area. For more information or to register contact Rae at 939-8372 or click here for the application form
SAINT JOHN & SURROUNDING AREA
- Saint John Food Purchasing Club, St. Joseph’s Community Health Center, 116 Coburg St, 632-5537 ( they have 5 locations for pick-up of bags)
- Dave’s Produce Packs- (CSA) Numerous locations in Southeast NB
- Home Grown Farms (CSA) Pick up locations in Sussex and Saint John
ST. ANDREWS & SURROUNDING AREA
- Bantry Bay Farm (CSA) Available at St. Andrews Farmers’ Market
Do you know of a program that’s missing from the list above? Contact us!