Bulk Buy: Frequently Asked Questions

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Other ways to stay up to date: Follow us on Instagram! @valleyfoodconnection

FaceBook Group: Bulk Buy Collective 

We now offer the program on the second Saturday and fourth Friday of every month. The Friday runs after 5pm to accommodate those with busy weekends and has been added thanks to the interest of our clients!

We are able to sell the produce bags at cost because we are a not-for-profit. You will get a quite full bag of produce featuring 9-12 varieties of grown goods.

As of November 2023, $15 is a savings of approximately 60-70% based on the same items purchased at a grocery store. Compared to Walmart online, the same bag would cost $40.

In addition, produce left over from sorting is sold for 1-2$ for as much as you can take, giving folks even more options. Even without an order, you can swing by the pickup times to get those extras (while supplies last).

A: No commitment is required. We encourage our clients to order as needed. We want this program to be as low-barrier as possible for our community, meaning you can order from us whenever like.

We currently have 2 options for purchase, the Standard bag and the South Asian-friendly bag. The selection of produce varies from month-to-month.

The Standard bag typically includes a selection of:

• tomatoes
• potatoes
• peppers
• cauliflower
• carrots
• squash
• apples
• broccoli
• bananas
• celery
• green onions
• kale

In addition to many of the items found in the Standard Bag, the South Asian-friendly bag typically includes a selection of 2 unique items: 

• okra
• red onions
• garlic
• rapini leaves
• peppers
• spinach
• eggplant
• cabbage
• cauliflower 

Anyone can order with us! By ordering, you are NOT taking someone else’s bag. The more orders we get, the more produce we can buy. Tell your friends, buy a bag for family, or purchase 2$ of extra produce on the pick up date. All these actions support our program and allow us to make a better product!

Your username is automatically created when you make an account. It is your firstname.lastname so mine would be mackenzie.deleney. If you need help resetting your password, email bulkbuy@archway.ca and we can give you an access code.

Unfortunately, at this point we are not able to offer customizable produce bags. We encourage you to give whatever you won’t eat to a friend or neighbor. If you request something week-of we can try to accomodate the customization.

Since 100% of your spending goes toward the order unfortunately we cannot offer refunds after the ordering deadline has passed. We order a large pallet of produce on the Thursday before the pickup date. If you forget to pick up or can’t make it, please email us to arrange collection. Any bags that remain after the weekend are sold on a first come first served basis the following weekday and any that remain after that will be donated to the Food Bank.

Please email bulkbuy@archway.ca if you need to cancel your order for any reason. Orders can also be cancelled on your Account Dashboard.

A: Our program would not be able to run without the help of our volunteers and is mainly run by you! If you are able-bodied, we ask our Bulk Bulk participants to volunteer in the program to some capacity. We have a few different opportunities for volunteering:

• Packing bags! On the day of Bulk Buy, volunteers come from 10:30am to about 11:30am to help divide the produce and pack the bags. Children are also welcome, we love to see our littlest volunteers!
• Man the Sales Desk! Help me track bag, egg, and milk orders on a spreadsheet. I may ask for your help moving items as well.
• Deliveries! We offer delivery for those who are housebound or have limited transportation to pick up bags on the day of Bulk Buy. If you can do a delivery or two, let us know!