The Produce
We buy only certified organic produce. We eat year round so the co-op functions year round. Please note that we source locally only during local harvest seasons. It may seem silly, but we are generally so disconnected from the systems of the Earth that some people don't make this connection.
From Thanksgiving to mid-June the produce is grown within the United States and as locally as possible. As the growing seasons change, so do our sources. Periodically, we get items like bananas, mangos, or other tropicals which cannot be grown within US borders. For an idea of what produce may be in your basket visit our Harvest Seasons and Availability chart.
From mid-June through Thanksgiving most of our fruits and vegetables are grown in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York States. As the growing seasons change, so do our sources. For an idea of what may be in your basket visit our Harvest Seasons and Availability chart.
The Produce Bags
These are the bags to choose from. Actual quantities of items will vary according to season, availability, price and case size. There may be times when you don’t get “exactly” what you want. Please remain flexible!
The Basic Bag– $25.00
Available weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Your basic fruits and vegetables that most people like. The produce may differ slightly as seasons change.
4 to 6 different fruits– From this list- apples, bananas, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pears, avocados, melons. In the winter citrus and tropical fruits are included- oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, pineapple, mangos, kiwis. Summer fruits are peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots.
4 to 6 different vegetables – From this list- various kinds of lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, peas, potatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, zucchini, broccoli, corn.
The Big Bag– $45.00
Available biweekly or monthly only on Big Basket Weeks. This is a large bag of fruits and vegetables. The bag has a variety of produce year-round changing as the seasons change.
7-10 different fruits – From this list- apples, pears, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon, etc. During the winter citrus and tropical fruits are included- oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, pomegranates, pineapple, mangos, kiwis. Summer fruits are peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots.
7-10 different vegetables – From this list- lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, onions, broccoli, potatoes, yams, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, kale, bok choy, celery, cilantro, parsley, corn, eggplant, peas, zucchini, string beans, mushrooms, beets, artichokes, etc…
The Fruit Bag– $25.00
Available biweekly or monthly only on Big Weeks. The variety of fruits from the Big Bag.
The Veggie Bag– $25.00
Available biweekly or monthly only on Big Weeks. The variety of vegetables from the Big Bag.
This is how we do it...
We get bags of produce on an even & odd-week system. Members pick up their baskets between 3 and 8 pm on Thursdays. There is no work requirement in this Co-op. Actual quantities of produce will vary according to availability, price and case size. This co-op has been in existence for over 30 years, changing with the times and the needs of the members.
You don’t have to join the Co-op to try it out – Choose the size basket you think you would be most interested in and order a Trial Basket. Try a variety of different types. You may try up to 3 Trial Baskets before Joining the Co-op.
Joining – To Join the Co-op press the black "Join Co-op" button, choose the type of basket subscription you would like and fill out the following form. A non-refundable Membership Fee of $50 will be charged upon joining. It is a lifetime membership which includes two boat bags to use for your produce. After payment is received, the bags will be made up for you and your next basket will be in one of them. Please see how the bags are used below.
Produce day is on Thursdays – Pick up is between 3 and 8 pm, but we are flexible and pickups on following days can be arranged. We will periodically take a week off. Please check the calendar. If a sudden change will occur in the schedule, I will inform you through email. Produce is usually sorted and ready for pick-up in my garage by 3:00 pm – sometimes even earlier.
Remembering to pick up is your responsibility – Reminders are emailed out to members signed up through the website. If your bag is still here after produce day, you may get a gentle reminder email. But, we will not always be around to remind you. Please mark your calendars. If you forget a basket, it is still your responsibility to pay for it. The co-op is not responsible for baskets or the produce quality, if it's not picked up on produce day.
Canceling – You can hold a basket or cancel your subscription online or notify us by email by the Wednesday before produce day.
• To Hold a Basket: -Log into your account; Click on the date you would like to put on hold; Click on the "Hold Delivery" button just under your name.
• To Cancel a Subscription: Go to your "dashboard"; In the My Co-Op Subscriptions list choose "View/Modify subscription"; Right under the name of the subscription click on [Modify]; There is a button to cancel the subscription on this page. You will still have your Login with us and can start a new subscription at any time, or we can restart this subscription for you if you ask us to in an email.
Other organic items – are for sale too from the refrigerators at the Mountain Lakes pickup site, that you can pay for online. The dairy come from Pennsylvania and New York. You can also order whole and sometimes half-cases of produce through the co-op.
The 2 boat bags are used to sort and carry home your produce. Each week you bring back the bag from the week before and your produce will be in your other bag. They keep rotating like this. If you forget to bring back your bag, don't worry, the next week your produce will just be in a box instead. It is the member's responsibility to keep the bags clean.
Do not contaminate the organic produce by also using the bags to carry conventional goods. If you decide to leave the co-op, you keep your boat bags. Additional new boat bags are $15 each. Free used bags are available at the discretion of the Manager for outer pickup site members and long-term members who have a need. They are bags left by former members. The old name will be crossed out and the new written in.
Our members are not required to donate time – if you are interested in sorting two to four hours for a free bag of produce, even periodically, please let me know.
We are currently not accepting any volunteers to help sort the bags for everyone's safety during the pandemic.
To try a bag, order one on the Trial Basket page. We may be able to fit you in this coming Thursday.
Call Maria at (201)-838-5653.